Steven Gerrard shares stance on management return after leaving Saudi job
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is a free agent after leaving his role as head coach of Al-Ettifaq earlier this year, but he is planning to return to the dugout at some point
Steven Gerrard says he has every intention of returning to management after leaving his post with Al-Ettifaq earlier this year – even if the Liverpool legend has no plans to make a return to the dugout anytime soon as he enjoys some rare downtime.
Gerrard, 44, spent 18 months in the Saudi Professional League. He left his role in January after winning just five of his 17 domestic matches during the 2024-25 campaign and his next move is unclear.
Prior to moving to the Middle East, Gerrard endured a difficult stint at Aston Villa in the Premier League. He had been touted as a future Liverpool manager before struggling at Villa Park, while his decision to move to Saudi Arabia also raised eyebrows.
Speculation over Gerrard’s next move has been rife in the weeks since his Al-Ettifaq exit. And while he doesn’t know where he’ll end up next, Gerrard isn’t done with management.
The former England star told That Peter Crouch Podcast: “I don’t want to be back in work, not at the moment. I’ve just come out, so I am happy waking up, being free, doing the family stuff and being free from the stress.
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“I will go back in at some point but when it is round the clock for 18 months, I just want to be free and do normal things that you can’t do when you are coaching like a game of golf or go down the boozer. I want to do normal things that you can’t really do when you’re coaching, so I am all good.
“I’m good and stress free. I’m out of work in terms of the coaching and management, which is obviously 24/7.”
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Gerrard has already been linked with a number of roles since leaving his post in Saudi Arabia. A number of pundits have tipped him to return to Rangers, where he made a successful start to his managerial career by winning the Scottish title.
But while Gerrard is keen to get back into management, he admits it doesn’t come close to the buzz of playing. He added: “I miss it everyday, every single day, I would love to run it back and do it all again.
“Coaching and management does not fill the void, it is just not the same. Don’t get me wrong it is a great job to still be around it, but in terms of the buzz of playing, I didn’t appreciate it enough.”
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