English Football club, Aston Villa, has appointed Liverpool legend and former captain, Steven Gerrard, as new manager for the team after a disappointing start to the premier league season.
Villa finalised a deal to appoint the former Rangers boss on Thursday, with compensation said to be between £3.25-4m agreed with the Scottish club for Gerrard and his assistant Gary McAllister.
Gerrard, 41, has been in charge of Rangers since June 2018 and led the club to the Scottish Premiership title last season, ending Celtic’s nine-year reign as champions
Announcing Gerrard as new manager to replace the sacked Dean Smith on Thursday, the club noted that his appointment had become imperative in line with the team’s commitment to return to winning ways after losing five straight Premier League matches.
“The board of Aston Villa are delighted to appoint Steven as our new head coach,” said CEO Christian Purslow.
“He then took the brave decision to test himself in the intense and high pressured environment of the Scottish Old Firm. His subsequent achievement in winning the Premiership title with Glasgow Rangers really caught our eye as did his experience in Europe.”
Gerrard is considered one of the greatest players in Premier League history, scoring 186 goals in 710 appearances for Liverpool. However, this will be his first taste of management in the English top-flight.
“Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new head coach,” said Gerrard. “It was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.”
Villa are 16th in the Premier League after picking up 10 points in their first 11 games. The club sit 16th in the Premier League table, two points above the relegation zone after 11 games of their campaign. Gerrard’s first match in charge is set to be the Premier League match against Brighton on November 20.
