Steven Gerrard has been appointed manager of Aston Villa on a three-and-a-half-year contract, ending his three-year reign at Rangers.
The 41-year-old former Liverpool captain leaves the Scottish champions after leading them to their first league title in ten years last season.
Gerrard takes over for Dean Smith, who was fired on Sunday after five straight defeats.
Villa currently sits in 16th place in the Premier League, two points above the relegation zone.
“I am immensely proud to become the new head coach of Aston Villa, a club with a rich history and tradition in English football,” Gerrard said.
“It was clear from my conversations with [co-owners] Nassef [Sawiris], Wes [Edens], and the rest of the board how ambitious their plans for the club are, and I am looking forward to assisting them in achieving their goals.”
Gerrard took his first steps into senior management with Rangers in 2018, and he leaves them four points clear of rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
According to BBC Sport Scotland, Villa has paid the Rangers £4.5 million in compensation.
“Steven and his backroom staff have undoubtedly ensured that the club is in a better place today than it was three and a half years ago,” Ranger’s sporting director Ross Wilson said.
“We have shared a desire to move Rangers forward, modernize our infrastructure, and win again.”
“There have been so many areas where we have made progress, and there is still so much to be done, but I can’t emphasize how important it has been to have a first-team manager with us who shared a drive and desire to set standards and move the entire football operation forward.”
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Gerrard played 710 times for Liverpool, winning nine trophies, and spent a season with MLS side LA Galaxy in 2015 before retiring.
He worked as a coach at Liverpool’s youth academy before taking over as manager of the under-18 team for the 2017-18 season.
With 114 international appearances and 21 goals, Gerrard is England’s fourth-most capped player.
Source: BBC
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