Steven Gerrard has taken over Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, but only after his former assistant at Rangers, Michael Beale, snubbed the opportunity, Paddy Power News understands.
Beale decided to stay in Glasgow rather than jack in his career early for a ton of cash.
“It’s a real coup for the Saudi Pro League to get Steven Gerrard to manage Al-Ettifaq” a source within Saudi football explained.
“Of course it would’ve been a bigger one to get a half-decent manger, but a bit of glitz and glamour will do here.”
Indeed, execs at the Saudi club known as The Commandos initially attempted to bring in the man known as “Gerrard’s brain” during his time in the Scottish Premiership.
“You don’t need to be a genius to see Michael Beale was behind Gerrard’s success with Rangers.
“Well, him and Neil Lennon managing Celtic.”
“If ‘Lenny’ takes over every other Saudi Pro League side next season, Al-Ettifaq will be nailed on for the title,” one keen observer of the league said.
Liverpool legend Gerrard left Ibrox months after breaking Celtic’s streak of nine top-flight titles in a row for Aston Villa without his assistant, where he spaffed millions away to make a mid-table side into relegations strugglers and was sacked a year later.
And now he gets a chance to repeat the trick at a much lower level, with rumours swirling about his first possible moves as boss.
“His first question was ‘can we sign Coutinho?’ We weren’t so sure but he said it was a ‘red-line’ and eventually we gave in,” a source within the club said.
“Then he’ll spend twice as much on Emiliano Buendia and leave him on the bench to ‘motivate’ him.”
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And the Referees Union of Saudi Arabia also welcomed suggestions that Alfredo Morelos could join his ex-boss in the desert.
“Morelos will keep us on our toes,” a spokesman said. “Certainly, our stationery provider has already been in touch about additional notebooks should he move here.”
However, it was not all positive news as Villa stalwart Tyrone Mings has already issued a statement saying he has no interest in moving to the Gulf state following the appointment.
*Paddy Power’s football coverage is 100% fake news. Honest.
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