Steven Gerrard took Sir Alex’s recommendation from two-hour chat after Aston Villa sack
Steven Gerrard turned to Sir Alex Ferguson‘s words of wisdom after being let go by Aston Villa.
Liverpool icon Gerrard was given the sack at Villa Park just two months into the 2022/23 campaign with the side then looming dangerously close to the relegation zone. It was the first significant setback of his managerial career, having enjoyed success with the Reds’ U18s and at Rangers.
He’s now opened up on what the experience was like in an interview with The Telegraph, explaining the hurt he felt and the toll it took on his confidence. However, some uplifting advice from legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex encouraged him to remain positive.
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“It was tough. It hurt. I felt it,” Gerrard explained, via the Express. “But what people need to understand is if I didn’t feel that, if I didn’t take that personally, if I didn’t take full responsibility for that, then I am not Steven Gerrard anymore because when it’s football and it’s professional and it’s something that I love I will always own it.
“I am not one of those people who looks to blame, who looks to point fingers. It’s not my style and that’s the reason why I needed a period of time to process that hard toughness. It knocked my confidence a little bit. It does. I spoke to a lot of managers around it.
“I went to see Alex Ferguson for a couple of hours and he said ‘take your time, don’t jump into anything. Take your time and process it, analyse it’. And that is what I have done.”
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(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
The former England midfielder, 44, took a nine-month break before getting back into the game with Saudi Pro League’s Al-Ettifaq, joining the wave of high-profile names hitting the Gulf state’s shores. Gerrard led his squad to a sixth-place finish this season, edging one spot better than the previous year, and he’s adamant about pushing the bar even higher.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t taking it seriously,” he declared. “I take football seriously. Always have. And at the same time I will never disrespect a person or an organisation by making a decision when I am not ready.”
He also drew parallels between Al-Ettifaq and his Rangers, sensing a real opportunity to forge something of note at the Saudi outfit. Gerrard continued: “I needed to sit down with people who shared a lot of things with me, maybe in terms of wanting to build something, in being given a little more time… that felt a bit more like Rangers.
“Now, I am not comparing clubs and sizes but in terms of a project. Can you build something special? Can you build a team? Can you build an infrastructure? Can you give academy people opportunities? Can you share your experiences and let people grow?
“There are no guarantees but I believe with time with support and with the same people being on the same page, I’ve experienced it before, I have the confidence and belief that I can build something and make a difference.”
