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#3 Steven Gerrard (Rangers) - Scottish Premiership
Having retired from active football in 2016, Steven Gerrard spent one year as Liverpool Under-18 coach before being appointed manager of Scottish giants Rangers in 2018.
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The Glasgow side had spent the last decade in the shadows of arch-rivals Celtic following their insolvency in 2012.
However, under the management of Gerrard, the Gers have closed the gap on the Bhoys and are currently the form team in the Scottish top flight.
The 40-year-old helped Rangers register their first victory over Celtic since 2012 in his first year in charge, while he also recently defeated their city rivals in three consecutive games.
They had started the current season with a 28-game unbeaten run in all competitions before falling to a shock 2-1 defeat away to St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup.
Rangers are, however, still undefeated in the league and currently have a 23-point lead over Celtic (who have three games in hand), which all but guarantees a first league title since 2011 and 55th overall.
It is, however, not only domestically that Steven Gerrard has proven his mettle. The Ibrox side have also regularly punched above their weight in the Europa League and have qualified for the knockout rounds in each of the last two seasons.
This term, they impressively topped a group also containing European heavyweights Benfica, while they saw off Galatasaray in the qualifying stage.
Under Steven Gerrard's watch, several players like James Tavernier, Joe Aribo, Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi have blossomed.
It is widely believed that Gerrard is Liverpool's manager-in-waiting, and his performance in Scotland has boosted his reputation massively.
#2 Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) - Argentine Primera Division
After a relatively successful career that saw him represent River Plate across two different spells, Marcelo Gallardo was appointed as manager of Los Millonarios in 2014.
He has since gone on to become the most successful manager in the club's illustrious history, with 12 major trophies won.
His high point came when he led River Plate to the 2015 Copa Libertadores title, a feat he repeated three years later.
The latter was won by defeating arch-rivals Boca Juniors in the final - the first to be played outside South America at the Santiago Bernabeu - following crowd trouble in Buenos Aires.
Gallardo guided River to the final a year later but fell to defeat against Brazilian side Flamengo.
His performance has led to widespread praise across the world, and he has been heavily linked with the Real Madrid job, indicative of the high regard to which he is held.
#1 Erik ten Hag (Ajax) - Netherlands Eredivisie
Erik Ten Hag captured the imagination of football fans around the world when he guided an extremely youthful Ajax team to the semi-final of the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League.
The Dutch outfit recorded many scalps along the way including Real Madrid and Juventus. They were 30 seconds away from the final before a last-gasp Lucas Moura goal eliminated them.
Despite their heartbreaking elimination, Ajax won the heart of fans all over, and Erik Ten Hag saw his profile rise.
The 50-year-old manager had earlier guided the Amsterdam-outfit to their first domestic double in 17 years. They were also in pole position to successfully defend the Eredivisie title before the season was voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This term, Ajax have continued from where they left off and currently set the pace on the standing with a four-point advantage at the summit.
Ten Hag is grounded in the Johan Cruyff coaching philosophy, and it comes as no surprise to see his Ajax team reflecting his possession-based teachings.
Their standout performance under the former Utrecht manager came when they whitewashed VVV-Venlo 13-0 away from home on matchday 6 of the current season.
The Ajax manager has been linked with major jobs in the top five leagues, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Without a doubt, Erik ten Hag is currently one of the best managers outside mainstream Europe.
