SPORTBIBLE
Steven Gerrard has revealed what Sir Alex Ferguson said to him after he was sacked by Aston Villa.
During his 17-year playing career at Liverpool, Gerrard went up against Ferguson’s Manchester United on plenty of occasions.
The former England midfielder found himself on the losing side more often than not, but that didn’t stop him from having a respectful relationship with the legendary Scottish manager.
That relationship has continued into Gerrard’s managerial career, which has seen him take charge of Rangers, Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.
Gerrard impressed in his first managerial role, delivering Rangers’ first Scottish Premier League title in nine years.
He moved south to Villa in November 2021, but he was dismissed less than 12 months later after his side won just two of their opening 12 games of the 2022-23 season.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Gerrard opened up on his departure from Villa and the advice Ferguson gave him.
“It was tough. It hurt. I felt it. 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,” he said.
“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.
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