Steven Gerrard insisted money was not the main motivation behind his move to manage Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Arabia Pro League.
For a managerial career that started in Liverpool, with the under-18s and then went to Glasgow to work with Rangers before Aston Villa, there was definitely some criticism when Gerrard opted for the riches of Saudi Arabia over Europe.
Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa following a poor run of results in October 2022, but despite reportedly being offered other managerial roles closer to home, he moved to Al-Ettifaq in July 2023.
“I was financially secure a long time ago,” Gerrard told The Telegraph.
“So, I would not come to Saudi for money. Was it part of it? Yes. Was it the only thing that made me do it? One million per cent, no.”
When Gerrard joined the club, he immediately made a splash in the transfer market, signing Georginio Wijnaldum from Paris Saint-Germain, Jack Hendry from Club Bruges, Demarai Gray from Everton and Jordan Henderson from Liverpool.
“Trust me, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t taking it seriously,” Gerrard said, over his decision to take charge at the club almost on the border with Bahrain and not one of the clubs funded by the Public Investment Fund.
“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.”
Gerrard added: “I had been in Liverpool for a long time. I wanted a bit of a change.
“I want to get to the end of my career and think ‘I tried different things. I didn’t just go for safety. I didn’t stay in my comfort zone.’ I want to make decisions outside the box. I want to challenge myself. Same with my children.”
