Steven Gerrard spoke with Sir Alex Ferguson after he was sacked by Aston Villa (Image: Getty)
Steven Gerrard says he went to Sir Alex Fergson for guidance after being sacked by Aston Villa. The Liverpool legend was booted out of Villa Park just two months into the 2022/23 season with his side hovering above the relegation zone.
It was the first significant setback of Gerrard's burdgeoning managerial career, following success with both Liverpool's U18s team as well as with Rangers.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the 43-year-old said the sacking "hurt" and admitted it knocked his confidence. But an inspiring message from legendary Manchester United boss Ferguson helped him keep his chin up.
"It was tough. It hurt. I felt it," he said. "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."
He added: "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."
Gerrard says Ferguson's words helped him a lot (Image: Getty)
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The former Liverpool skipper waited nine months before hopping back into management, joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq amid the recent surge of high profile arrivals in the Gulf state.
His team sealed a sixth-place finish this season - one better than they managed last year - and Gerrard says he expects to keep improving.
"I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t taking it seriously," he insisted. "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."
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Gerrard also said that Al-Ettifaq "feel a bit like Rangers", adding that he gets the sense he can really build something at the club.
"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."
