Former Liverpool player, Steven Gerrard, has made headlines by accepting the position of Al Ettifaq manager in the Saudi Pro League. After initially declining their offer last month, the 43-year-old engaged in further discussions with the club and ultimately decided to take up the role. Gerrard, who previously served as the captain of Liverpool and was recently dismissed as Aston Villa manager in November last year, will now assume control of the Dammam-based team.
Following the successful negotiations, Al-Dabal, the president of Al Ettifaq, expressed his joy at securing Gerrard's services for a two-year contract. He emphasised the significance of the deal, considering it one of the most notable and influential appointments in the history of the Saudi Pro League.
Growing list of high profile names to move to the Kingdom
This comes as Al Ettifaq had been without a permanent manager since Patrice Carteron, the French coach, departed in February. After finishing seventh in the previous season, the club seeks Gerrard's expertise to rebuild the team, which ended 35 points adrift of champions Al Ittihad, who have recently acquired Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.
Recently, Gerrard had also been linked to managerial vacancies at Leicester City and Leeds United, both of which were relegated from the Premier League last season. However, he missed out on the Leicester job to Enzo Maresca, while Leeds is reportedly expected to appoint former Norwich coach Daniel Farke, leaving Gerrard with an opportunity to lead Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
Joining a growing list of high-profile names, Gerrard follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N'Golo Kante, who have all recently made moves to Saudi Arabia. This influx of talent adds further excitement and anticipation to the football scene in the country's professional league.
