Steven Gerrard joins exodus to Saudi Arabia after being named Al-Ettifaq boss
Former England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has been appointed manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq.
The 43-year-old revealed in June that he had been invited to the country to “look at a potential offer” but would not accept it.
Gerrard has been out of work since being sacked as Aston Villa’s manager in October last year.
Al-Ettifaq were seventh in the 16-team Saudi Pro League last season, finishing 35 points behind champions Al-Ittihad.
The former England midfielder’s move to Saudi Arabia follows a summer of heavy investment by Pro League clubs as several top European players have joined former Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East.
Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, and Chelsea trio N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy are among those who have moved to Saudi Arabia, with Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic to Al-Nasr being the most recent.
Fulham boss Marco Silva is also said to have turned down a £17 million offer to coach Al-Hilal.
The trend underscores the league’s aim to be one of the top five in the world, and it comes on the heels of a June decision by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, to take over four of the country’s leading clubs. Al-Ettifaq is not one of them.
Gerrard quit football in 2016, and his first managerial position was with the Scottish team Rangers.
He took over at Ibrox in 2018 and won the club’s first Scottish Premiership in ten years in 2020-21.
Gerrard subsequently took over as Villa manager in November 2021 but resigned after only 13 wins in 40 games.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
World
Iran confirms U.S. proposal to resume talks amid latest attacks
Iran says it received proposals from mediators about resuming negotiations with the United States.
World
I’ve made UK better, stronger than my predecessor: Keir Starmer
Mr Starmer hailed himself for taking the Labour Party from “historic defeat” in 2019 to winning the country’s general election in 2024, when it ousted the Conservative Party.
Economy
CSCS declares N1 interim dividend after half-year earnings
The company noted that the interim dividend represented 56 per cent of the total dividend of N1.78 per share paid for the 2025 financial year.
Health
Mental health key to attaining excellence in children, says expert
He said children perform better academically and socially when the learning environment supports their emotional well-being.
States
Court dismisses Ned Nwoko’s suit challenging Okowa’s candidacy for Delta North senatorial district
The Federal High Court, Abuja, rejected Mr Nwoko’s suit seeking to void Mr Okowa’s emergence as the APC candidate for the Delta North senatorial district.
Heading 1
Reps begin review of state police bill
“The House and the Senate are working in tandem with each other to make sure that the significant amendments are achieved,” he said.
