Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard struggles to shine as a coach in the Saudi Pro League
After being dissatisfied with the amount of game time he was being given by Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool’s former midfielder Steven Gerard decided to put an end to his 17-year long partnership with the Anfield side in 2015. He quit playing altogether about a year later when he decided to end his contract with LA Galaxy.
The former vice-captain of the England national team took on coaching post his retirement. Gerrard served as a youth coach at Liverpool academy in the 2017-18 season. This was followed by him coaching the Rangers for three years and a brief stint at Aston Villa where he got sacked for a poor start in 2022 before leaving his English roots behind to migrate to the Saudi Pro League last summer.
His lucrative deal with the Saudi club made the Englishman the fourth highest paid boss in the world who pockets a whopping £15.2 million a year as Al Ettifaq’s manager. Despite the huge amounts spent on the Liverpool legend, Gerrard has been unable to meet the high expectations that were set on him. The final months of 2023 saw Al Ettifaq go on a streak of eight winless games under Gerrard’s management. It remains to be seen how his career will span out if he gets sacked from the Saudi Pro League due to poor run of form.
Steven Gerrard acknowledges his failures as he vows to make history with Al-Ettifaq
The former Liverpool captain had been in talks with the Merseyside for another managerial chance at the Anfield side. However, he has acknowledged his failures and has now extended his contract with Al-Ettifaq until 2027 with the aim of developing the Arab club to be a notable one in the history of international football.
“We all realise that success cannot be achieved overnight, but our high ambitions will make our journey to the top an inspiring sports story. We seek to build a competitive team with a high football culture, to leave a distinctive mark in the club’s ancient history.” said the Englishman, as quoted by Liverpool ECHO.
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The 43-year-old was legendary as a player but falls below the average as a coach. The gulf league have chosen to give him another shot. It would be interesting to see how Gerrard utilizes this opportunity to improve himself as a coach and improve his team with enhanced management.
