Steven Gerrard, the former England and Liverpool midfielder, has been appointed as the manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. The 43-year-old had previously mentioned in June that he was offered the opportunity to explore a potential offer in Saudi Arabia but initially declined it.
Gerrard has been without a managerial role since being sacked as the manager of Aston Villa in October 2022. Now, he is set to take charge of Al-Ettifaq, a club that finished seventh in the 16-team Saudi Pro League last season, 35 points behind champions Al-Ittihad. The length of Gerrard’s contract with the Saudi club has not been disclosed.
His move to Saudi Arabia comes amid a trend of heavy investment by Pro League clubs, attracting several top European players. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves, N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, and Marcelo Brozovic have all made moves to the Middle East this summer. Marco Silva, the former Fulham manager, reportedly turned down a £17 million offer to coach Al-Hilal.
The ambitions of the Saudi Pro League to become one of the top five leagues in the world are evident, especially after the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which owns Newcastle United, took over four leading clubs in the country in June. However, it’s important to note that Al-Ettifaq is not among those clubs.
Gerrard’s managerial career began at Scottish club Rangers in 2018, where he led the team to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade during the 2020-21 season. His success at Rangers contributed to his new opportunity in Saudi Arabia.
While Gerrard’s tenure at Aston Villa was less successful, with only 13 wins from 40 games during his time in charge, his reputation as a player and his managerial achievements at Rangers have secured him the role at Al-Ettifaq. As he embarks on this new chapter, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the Saudi Pro League and contributes to the growth and competitiveness of the club.
