Over the last few years, Steven Gerrard has faced a rocky few years career-wise. Previously, he was the Rangers manager, followed by a stint at Aston Villa. However, in 2023, he took on a new challenge by joining Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. He signed a contract set to run until 2027, but after 18 months, both parties mutually agreed to part ways.
Subsequently, for the past 18 months, Gerrard has been coaching the Al-Ettifaq side in Saudi Arabia. But it didn’t go well for either him or the club. At the end of 18 months, the two sides parted ways, in a mutual agreement. Unfortunately, things did not go well with the team winning just five out of 17 games. This meant that they were a mere five points above the relegation zone, which hasn’t gone down very well. But sometimes that’s just the way it is as Norwegian legend John Arne Riise, interviewed by BetMGM, discussed how Gerrard acknowledged that football doesn’t always go the way you want it to. However, on the more positive side of things, he said that he was always welcomed, and it’s been a positive experience overall in terms of learning. Samer Al Misehal, the owner of the club, echoed Gerrard’s sentiments stating that there’s been a lot of essential foundations built by Gerrard, and the club will build on these for the future.
But, there are possible moves on the horizon already. Since January, the ex Liverpool player has been unemployed. He’s looking for a job, and is likely looking to get back to some of his old, former clubs.
A brief look back
After finishing a stellar career as a player (playing for Liverpool and England), Gerrard, like many before him, turned to coaching. Back in 2018, Gerrard began his managerial career at Rangers. He started off with a bang, as he led the club to their first ever Scottish Premiership win in the last decade during the 2020 to 2021 season. Following this success, he moved on to Aston Villa, taking over from Dean Smith in 2021. However, the results were not great and just 11 months later, Gerrard was sacked with 13 wins in 40 games. His record, as mentioned, was then not great with Al-Ettifaq either, though this wasn’t for the entire duration of his stay. In the first season, the Saudi club came sixth, hence the extension of the contract. But the following season the team dropped to 16th. Being one of the top paid managers in the world does require results, and this is why there was a mutual agreement to end the position.
What’s up next?
It seems that a return to the Rangers could be on the cards for Gerrard, at least that’s what Ally McCoist, the former Rangers player thinks. However, while a return would be welcomed by many, the position is not actually available. A return to Glasgow would be both positive for Gerrard, but also a move that the fans would love as well. However, Barry Ferguson is the newly appointed manager, and there’s no certainly pressure on him to leave just yet. But it seems that the rumour mill won’t die down about Gerrard’s return, or perhaps it is an epic amount of wishing thinking.
More news has surfaced in recent months about a potential opening for Gerrard. It could be that Gerrard makes the move to what some consider the worst club in the UK. When Riise was interviewed by BetMGM, he mentioned that Gerrard did amazing things for Liverpool as a player, which could transition to managerial skills. Carlisle United was another rumoured job for Gerrard, but like Rangers, they just hired a new boss – the legendary Mark Hughes for the top job. With the club sitting five points from relegation, it’s possible that Gerrard is the magic they need to stop being dropped from the English Football League.
Gerrard has been away from the UK for a long time, and many were hoping that he would dive back into English football. But according to a recent interview, the man himself isn’t actually in any rush to get back into the dugout. Apparently, he currently prefers to take it easy and practice his golf.
What Gerrard does next is still up in the air. But there are plenty of options, let’s see what happens next.
