January 19 – Former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson may have departed after just six months but Steven Gerrard has signed a two-year contract extension to stay as head coach of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq until 2027.
The former Rangers and Aston Villa boss joined the club on a two-year deal last summer. Al-Ettifaq, who finished seventh last term, currently sit eighth in the table, 28 points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
In a statement Gerrard, who is reported to be one of the best-paid managers in the world on a salary of about £15 million, said: “This is very pleasing for myself and my family and feels like recognition for a lot of hard work and commitment.
“We had to put in place new infrastructure, like building a new training ground in phases and building a new stadium. But a lot has been achieved.”
However, while significant progress has been made off the pitch, Gerrard is yet to see those changes translate to the team’s performances on it.
Following an impressive start, with five wins from the club’s first seven games of the season, Al-Ettifaq’s form has since slumped and they had not won in their last eight matches before a six-week mid-season break.
“I understand where we are in the league, but I am very confident we will improve,” said Gerrard.
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