Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow has opened up on the club's decision to sack Steven Gerrard insisting it was a "tough decision".
The Liverpool legend was axed as boss following a string of poor form in the Premier League back in October last year.
Gerrard has not yet returned to management but has been vocal on his hopes of returning to a job in the near future.
Asked about Gerrard's sacking, Purslow told Sky News: "It was very tough. He’s a very good person I’ve known him a long time.
"It hadn’t worked out for Steven. He would be the first to admit that.
"We have to do the right thing and the board thought about things. I think we let things ride for a while and then made that tough decision and moved on."
Unai Emery was Gerrard's replacement and Purslow has been impressed by the impact of the former Arsenal boss.
He continued: "It’s fair to say the improvement has been really dramatic, pronounced and faster than anyone would reasonably expect…the speed with which he’s improved people individually has been pleasantly surprising."
On his current situation, Gerrard recently told The Manager Magazine: "You have to reset, wait and be patient for the fire and fight to return.
"I’ve been offered opportunities to manage at club and international level since I left Villa, including an exciting opportunity in an overseas league, but none have been right for me at this time."
Gerrard also reflected on his time at Rangers and admits his connection with the club was the perfect relationship.
He continued: "As soon as I came off the call with Rangers I knew it was the right club culture for me. I immediately felt wanted and I saw the potential for me to have a genuine connection with the supporters. I’ve always been game for those types of risks and I knew that if I could forge good relationships with the supporters, the players and my coaching team then we had huge potential to be successful.
"You don’t accomplish anything by yourself, so humility and working with everyone in the club, both on and off the pitch, is incredibly important. “I knew that the chairman, Dave King, had my back, that we would work well together and that he would be there to guide me as a young manager should I need it.
"He fully understood the situation the club was in, but we put in place a plan together, we met regularly and knew there needed to be clarity and alignment from top to bottom, with everybody pulling in the same direction.
"When you achieve anything, though, it’s a process, a journey, and no matter what anyone says, it’s never about just one individual. I, and everyone in my coaching staff, played our part in achieving Rangers’ 55th title.
“Understandably, people often fear change, so it’s really important to be able to communicate your ideas clearly. During any period of change within football there are difficult conversations to be had, for example, when you have to tell players they aren’t part of the squad moving forward.
"I then had the challenge of going out and convincing players we targeted that Rangers was the football club for them, and that they could improve the team and keep taking the club forward. There were times when I had to take criticism, pressure and responsibility on my own shoulders to protect my staff and my players.”
