Steven Gerrard has opened up on his decision to return to manage in Saudi Arabia after being knocked back for two opportunities in the English Championship.
The Liverpool legend returned to management earlier this summer for the first time since his Aston Villa exit last November, when he was confirmed as boss of Al-Ettifaq.
Before that Gerrard was linked with a number of other opportunities both on a club and international level, and reports have since claimed that he was snubbed by both Leeds United and Leicester City.
Gerrard, who enjoyed a hugely successful spell as Rangers manager, reckons the challenge in Saudi will be similar to that of the job he took on at Ibrox and he admits he is excited for the test.
He confessed to the 'It's All Kicking Off' podcast: "I had a couple of other things on the table at Championship level and I had to make a decision what I believed was right for me. In time with being patient, this was the best offer on the table because we had two offers that had a chance, they were taken away from me rather than me making that decision. It was important for me not to stay out of the game for too long. I needed a challenge where I would get some time to build something similar to the opportunity I had at Rangers.
"I thought the best thing was to try something a little bit out of the box. I was in for two Championship jobs. I'm not afraid to say that, but I didn't get those jobs (at Leeds United and Leicester City), and this was the best thing on the table at the time."
Gerrard got off to a winning start with his new side as they defeated Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.
Former Celtic ace Moussa Dembele was the hero as Gerrard's team ran out 2-1 winners.
After the win, the former Gers boss admitted he still has aspirations of managing in England again.
He added: "I’ve got ambitions to go back at some point. I’ve got ambitions to be the best manager I can be and be involved in the biggest challenges out there, but in terms of do I think this will happen, they’re obviously questions for other people, but by doing well here, I’m sure it’ll give me a better chance."
