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'He's desperate' - Steven Gerrard ally fears he could be SACKED but hints at 'second chance' in Premier League
Martin Keown says he had high hopes for Steven Gerrard as a manager - but fears they could be misplaced if he's sacked in Saudi.
The former Rangers boss was an eye-catching acquisition for the Saudi Pro League but his spell in the middle east hasn't exactly gone to plan, struggling to live up to Al-Ettifaq's lofty expectations. Despite boasting a squad that features Moussa Dembele, Seko Fofana, Jack Hendry and former Liverpool star Gini Wijnaldum, they sit 11th in the table after nine games and speculation is rife over whether Gerrard will survive the winter break which commences from December 7.
His bank balance will hardly be complaining - he's currently one of the highest earning managers in the world on a reported £15m per year. But competitively, it's a far cry from winning the Premiership with Rangers and landing the Aston Villa job in the Premier League.
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Gerrard was once touted as a future England and Liverpool boss but he has a long way to go now to rekindle that reputation. Pundit Keown is certainly rooting for him - but knows it's a long way back, particularly if he does end up losing his current job.
The Arsenal hero said on talkSPORT: "You have to make it count when you're on these shores, don't you? So obviously at Rangers, he did very well. He went to Villa and it was a huge disappointment.
“I had high hopes for Steven Gerrard to become a top manager. I think he's due another chance when he comes back to the UK. I just felt that there was an empathy with him. There's an understanding of the game. He's desperate to be a manager. He's put in the hard miles. I know you're getting paid an absolute fortune, it's the other side of the world. He wants it to work.
"He looked like he was destined along with Frank Lampard. We were recently looking for an England manager. I think if those two would have trained on and did what we expected them to do, then they probably would be managing their country right now.
"But the other side of the coin is he could well lose his job now in Saudi Arabia. He has to decide what he wants next and how ambitious is he and much does he believe in himself."
