Steven Gerrard travelled back on the Aston Villa team coach despite being dismissed by the club after their Premier League clash against Fulham.
It was a must-win game for the former Liverpool captain as his job was already on the line after a poor start to the season. However, his side failed to produce as they were comfortably by Marco Silva’s side.
Goals from Harrison Reed, Alexander Mitrovic and an own goal from Tyrone Mings sealed a 3-0 victory for the hosts and as a result, Gerrard’s Villa tenure came to an abrupt end after just 11 months in charge.
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After the match, Gerrard said: “I'm a fighter - it's in my DNA. I'll continue to fight unless I'm told differently.”
But an hour after the final whistle, Villa released a statement confirming Gerrard’s exit.
It read: “Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
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A club spokesman said: “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
Despite no longer being a member of the Villa staff, Gerrard travelled back to the midlands on the team coach. According to The Athletic, the 42-year-old returned to the club’s training ground on the team coach and addressed his players before heading their separate ways.
After a largely successful spell as Rangers boss, Gerrard made the move to the Premier League to succeed Dean Smith.
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It was a decent start for Gerrard as he managed to inject some renewed confidence into the Villa side after attracting former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho to move to Villa Park from Barcelona.
In the summer, Villa invested heavily on the likes of Coutinho, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara. However, the results have simply not been good enough. Gerrard leaves Villa in 17th place, just three points above 20th-placed Nottingham Forest.
As the hunt for their new manager commences, it has been reported that the club are willing to pay one of the biggest wages in world football in order to attract one of the elite coaches.
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Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are the two names Villa fans are dreaming of as they are both currently without a job.
Who will be the next Villa manager? Only time will tell.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard, Premier League
