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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard received 'exciting opportunity' that he turned down after Aston Villa sacking

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard received 'exciting opportunity' that he turned down after Aston Villa sacking

Former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard claimed that he was “offered opportunities” both at club level and on the international stage.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed that he had been offered an “exciting opportunity” after he was sacked by Aston Villa last October.

Gerrard became a coach at Liverpool after calling it time on his glittering playing career before he went on to sign for Rangers as head coach in 2018.

The 42-year-old former Liverpool midfielder impressed during his time at the Ibrox and led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020-21 campaign.

Rangers went the aforementioned season without losing a match in the Scottish Premiership, with Gerrard securing his first major silverware as a manager.

Gerrard’s three-year reign at Rangers came to an end in November 2021 after he succeeded Dean Smith as Villa manager.

The former Rangers boss led Villa to a 14th-place finish in the 2021-22 season before the Premier League club suffered a tough start in the 2022-23 campaign.

Villa won only two of their opening 12 league matches this season before Gerrard was axed from the club, with Unai Emery succeeding him in the hot seat.

Following his departure from Villa Park, Gerrard was linked with the Poland head coach role before talks reportedly broke down.

And the Premier League legend even emerged as a shock candidate for the Paris Saint-Germain post in recent weeks amid pressure on Christophe Galtier.

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Speaking to the League Managers Association Magazine, Gerrard admitted that he was “offered opportunities” both at club level and on the international stage since his time at Villa.

“You have to reset, wait and be patient for the fire and fight to return,” he said.

“I’ve been offered opportunities to manage at club and international level since I left Villa, including an exciting opportunity in an overseas league, but none have been right for me at this time.

“In the meantime, I’m enjoying being an Uber driver for my girls and my little boy.”

Gerrard added: “They [Villa] gave me an opportunity in the Premier League and it was a successful experience initially because we achieved the remit of guiding the team away from the bottom of the table to safety.

“I’ve had time to analyse and reflect thoroughly on the challenges of our second season.

“In football, you have to learn from your mistakes and take strength from your successes.”

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Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Twitter

Topics: Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa, Premier League, England, Football