Steven Gerrard may have flopped in his Saudi Pro League coaching post, but the Liverpool legend still "sees the game differently" to others.
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Won Scottish Premiership title with RangersStruggled at Aston Villa & in Saudi ArabiaMulling over his options & waiting on offersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The ex-England captain saw his managerial stock soar on the back of leading Rangers to Scottish Premiership title glory. He did, however, take a serious step backwards when returning to the Premier League ranks at Aston Villa.
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More struggles were endured during a forgettable stint in the Middle East with Al-Ettifaq, leading to an enforced break from the dugout being taken in. It remains to be seen when and where Gerrard will return to professional football.
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Dean Holden, who worked alongside the 44-year-old in Saudi Arabia, believes that Gerrard still has plenty to offer – with important lessons having been passed his way en route to now working in Turkey with Adana Demirspor.
GettyWHAT DEAN HOLDEN SAID
Holden has told the : "My ideal destination is managing at the top level. And I do love an analogy! I had to work my way backwards so I thought going to Saudi Arabia would help that. In every situation, you need tools and because of that, my toolbox is getting bigger and bigger.
"Steven Gerrard sees the game differently, as his assistant I learned so much. He empowered me to be creative and come up with ideas, to challenge him. He’s a really generous guy and I am grateful for the opportunity – I felt like I got five years of experience from him in a year.
"In any other industry, you would pay for the experiences I had. If you were a doctor, you’d pay to go and observe the best brain surgeon in the world. And now in Turkey, it is mad, it’s a brilliant way to test myself. I live at the training ground. I am all in, I wake up and planning, train. I am there to professionalise it, ‘early is on time and on time is late!’
"As for the future, anything is possible. We have a blackboard in our kitchen: aim for the moon, land near the stars. If I don’t get to the top, I don’t, but I believe in my heart that I can manage at the highest level. It might sound egotistical but I believe in myself."
