July 03, (THEWILL) – Former England and Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, has been appointed as the new manager of Saudi Pro League team, Al Ettifaq.
When the offer was moored earlier, Gerrard wasted no time to decline, saying, “I was invited over there to look at a potential offer, I’ve been analysing that, but where I stand right now, I won’t be taking it on.” However, Gerrard has now made a surprising U-turn and accepted the position, marking his first managerial role since his departure from Aston Villa in October.
The Liverpool icon achieved managerial success at Rangers, where he guided the club to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021, but he will now join the ranks of footballing figures, who have recently moved to the Saudi Pro League, such as Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante, and Ruben Neves.
Al Ettifaq, who finished seventh in the division last season, significantly behind champions Al Ittihad by 35 points, aims to elevate its status and performance under Gerrard’s guidance. While the club has not yet acquired a superstar name in its squad, they were previously linked with Bayern Munich forward, Sadio Mane, who expressed no interest in the transfer.
The coming of Gerrard can change that to the Saudi club’s advantage. While his time managing in the EPL was not the elevating platform towards a return to managing Liverpool as he might have hoped, he still maintains some respect as a player and manager. That could be the type of pull Al Ettifaq will need to convince big names to accept joining from Europe.
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.
