Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has sent a message to Al-Ettifaq supporters following his appointment as the club’s new boss.
It was confirmed on Monday afternoon that Gerrard had signed a two-year contract with the Saudi club. Al-Ettifaq finished seventh in the 16-team Saudi Pro League last season, finishing 35 points behind champions Al-Ittihad.
Gerrard visited Saudi Arabia last month, though an initial round of talks failed to reach an agreement. However, the Kop icon agreed to the role following a renewed round of talks.
The former England international had been out of work since being sacked as Aston Villa manager in October last year. He had previously been in charge of Rangers, winning the Scottish title during his tenure and interrupting Celtic’s supremacy.
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And in a video published on Ettifaq's social media channels, Gerrard sent a message to the supporters in Arabic. Translating the message to English, the former Reds star said: "I am Steven Gerrard. I am an Ettifaqi. See you soon."
Speaking on the appointment of Gerrard, Khalid Al-Dabal, the club's chairman, said: "Without a doubt, Gerrard's presence will be an addition and a quantum leap to our league."
Gerrard retired from playing in 2016, and his first managerial role was as Liverpool’s under-18 boss. He took over at Ibrox just under two years later and led the club to their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years before moving to Villa.
However, he was sacked after just 11 months at Villa Park following a poor start to the season. Villa, at the time, had won just twice in the league and sat above the relegation zone on goals scored.
