Steven Gerrard set to be appointed as Aston Villa boss on two-and-a-half-year deal
Aston Villa are to appoint Steven Gerrard as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal; appointment set to be confirmed in the next 48 hours with former Liverpool captain to leave Rangers after three-and-a-half years at Ibrox.
Steven Gerrard is expected to be appointed the new Aston Villa manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
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Villa are set to finalise a deal to appoint the Rangers boss in the next 48 hours, with compensation of between £3.25-4m agreed with the Scottish club for Gerrard and his assistant Gary McAllister.
Gerrard, 41, has been in charge of Rangers since June 2018 and led the club to the Scottish Premiership title last season.
Villa have moved swiftly to appoint a new manager after sacking Dean Smith on Sunday, following a run of five successive Premier League defeats.
The club sit 16th in the Premier League table, two points above the relegation zone after 11 games of their campaign.
Gerrard’s first match in charge is set to be the Premier League match against Brighton on November 20.
The former Liverpool captain had dinner with Villa chief executive Christian Purslow in London on Wednesday night.
Discussions are ongoing for the rest Gerrard’s backroom staff to join him at Villa Park, while Smith’s coaching staff are expected to leave the club in due course.
Villa announced the departure of Craig Shakespeare, assistant head coach under Smith, on Monday.
‘Gerrard would be an exciting appointment’
Former Villa defender Richard Dunne believes, despite his relative inexperience, Gerrard would be a strong appointment by the club.
Dunne told Sky Sports News: “I think it’s very exciting. He’s a young manager and not been in the game very long but what he’s done at Rangers has been exceptional.
“The way that he holds himself in terms of his professionalism has been brilliant and he’s led that club really well since being there.
“He’s won the league and has that experience of European football so I think for Villa fans it would be an exciting appointment.”
Emile Heskey, who himself spent three years at Villa as a player, also believes Gerrard would be a successful appointment.
“He’s done U18s and now done first-team football, and not just done it but done a fantastic job. Not just a fantastic job domestically but also in Europe,” Heskey told Sky Sports News.
“This is a key thing. He’s earned his stripes. You can understand why clubs have looked at him and the leadership he brings for players on the pitch and around the club.
“I totally get it, he’s a fantastic coach and his teams are going out there and winning games.”
