Credit: Twitter
Steven Gerrard has begun working in his new role as manager of Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. After originally turning down an invitation to join them in June, the Liverpool great was finally hired earlier this month. The language barrier will obviously be a challenge for the 43-year-old, despite the possibility of an amazing opportunity. In a video that went viral on Thursday, Gerrard could be seen failing to get his point across to the players as they were in training.
Gerrard was officially announced as Al-Ettifaq’s manager by the club on Monday, July 3. The former England midfielder was without a job since October 2022, when he was sacked from Aston Villa after a poor season in the Premier League. But Gerrard did occasionally appear as a commentator on Channel 4 and BT Sport.
As he ramps up his preparations for the next new season, which begins in August, the former Liverpool star is fully committed to the training session and is seen supporting his teammates in the brief video. With a ball at his feet, Gerrard shouts, "You want it?" to a player off-camera. The Englishman then encounters silence as it becomes clear that his point has not been made.
After another repetition of the same question and the words "Tell me then, tell me then," he picks up the ball off the ground out of utter astonishment after a little period of silence. During the practice, a different player enters the fray and stands there before scurrying away as Gerrard begins to yell, "Go orange ball, orange ball."
As he points and says, "No communication," he then goes back to the player he was directing and appears upset by what was going on. As various ball-playing and conditioning drills go on outside in the sweltering Saudi sun, other players move around.
Watch the video here:
It is obvious that the former Aston Villa boss will need some time to get used to league requirements. Since the league begins next month, he will need to act quickly and learn to communicate his thoughts to his subordinates. This is Gerrard's third time serving as manager. Al Ettifaq finished seventh last season with 37 points from 30 games and they will be hoping that this season brings them a change in fortune under Gerrard's leadership.
