November 18, (THEWILL) – New Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard insists that the Villa Park position is not a “a stepping stone” on his way to becoming Liverpool manager, as some have speculated.
After calling time on his Rangers spell, the Reds veteran accepted the post at the English Premier League side last week, agreeing to terms on a contract that will run until 2025.
Last season, Gerrard led the Gers to their first Scottish Premiership title in ten years, finishing four points ahead of rivals Celtic at Ibrox.
Compared to that, Gerard takes over a Villan side that has lost their last five games in a row, hoping to lead a comeback that will boost his own managerial reputation. But he does not consider his new club as a stopover on the way back to Liverpool.
The 41-year-old said at his first Villa media conference on Thursday: “I’m all in, and I will give this job everything that it needs for it to be a success. I’ll be 100 per cent committed and so will my staff.
“[It’s] very unfair, and you’ll never hear me saying it’s a stepping stone. For me, I’m really honoured and proud to be in this position.
“There is nothing wrong in football with having dreams and aspirations, but Liverpool have got a world-class coach [in Jurgen Klopp] that they are very happy with. If he was to sign a lifetime deal right now, then I would be very happy for them and him.”
Gerrard led Rangers to a 64.8 percent win record in his 193 games in command, with his longest winning streak of nine games ending in November 2020.
His debut game as Villa manager will be against Brighton and Hove Albion at Villa Park on Saturday, followed by a trip to Anfield on December 11.
The former England international is third on Liverpool’s all-time appearance record (710), and he has been touted as a potential successor to Klopp.
About the German Reds’ manager, Gerrard said: “He’s a great man and a great coach. I think Liverpool are very lucky to have him at the helm, and I’m a Liverpool fan, so long may that continue.
“He sent me a message and said he’s looking forward to a big hug on the side on 11 December, so it’s something for me to look forward to.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
