OFFICIAL: Aston Villa appoint Gerrard as new manager

FT Desk

• 11 Nov 2021 10:21 GMT
• 3 min read

Aston Villa have appointed Rangers boss Steven Gerrard as their new manager.

Villa had been searching for a new head coach following the sacking of Dean Smith.

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In the end they decided to go for Gerrard, who won the Scottish Premiership with Rangers in 2020/21.

Rangers will receive £3 million in compensation from Aston Villa, according to the Daily Express and other media.

The 41-year-old Gerrard led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title last season, ending Celtic’s hopes of winning 10 league championships in a row.

He was subsequently named manager of the year in Scotland by the SFWA and PFA.

He will now be hoping to transfer that success over to the Premier League, where he enjoyed a glittering 17-year career as a player with Liverpool.

Following the appointment, Gerrard said:

“Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new Head Coach.

“In my conversations with Nassef, Wes and the rest of the Board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everybody associated with Glasgow Rangers for giving me the opportunity to manage such an iconic football club. Helping them secure a record-breaking 55th league title will always hold a special place in my heart. I would like to wish the players, staff and supporters the very best for the future.”

Gerrard replaces Dean Smith

Gerrard replaces Dean Smith, who was sacked on Monday after five successive league defeats.

Smith had been in charge at Villa Park since October 2018 but defeat to Southampton on Friday 5 November forced the board into action.

Villa currently sit 15th in the Premier League with just 10 points from their 11 games played, registering just three wins.

In a statement released by the club, Villa thanked Smith for his "excellent achievements" and wished him the very best for the future.

"Dean was appointed Villa Head Coach just over three years ago in October 2018 and led the club back to the Premier League via the play-offs in his first season in charge following a club-record ten-match winning sequence towards the end of that campaign.

"The following season, he kept Villa in the top flight while also leading the team out at the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley, narrowly losing 2-1 to Manchester City."

Gerrard's job will be to resurrect a team that has struggled after losing arguably their two biggest names in the summer in Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley.

Grealish was sold to Man City for £100 million, while Barkley returned to parent club Chelsea.