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Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq project failed despite his best attempts to recruit former Liverpool personnel(Image: 2024 Getty Images)

Football moves at an astonishing pace.

Boyhood Red Gerrard made the bold decision to join the Saudi Arabian hype train in July 2023, becoming the manager of Al-Ettifaq seven months after a failed tenure at Aston Villa.

This time last year, the 2005 Champions League-winning skipper was nearing the end of his first season in Saudi.



He endured a tougher time than he would have expected thanks to injuries and the sudden departure of his star player, Jordan Henderson, whom he had signed from his former club in January 2024.

His side finished in a disappointing sixth place in the Saudi Pro League.

1 Alisson Becker as a potential target before the Brazilian signed from Roma in a £67million deal in 2018.

And his relationship with Gerrard from their time together at Liverpool led the Dutchman to officially accept an offer to become Al-Ettifaq's goalkeeping coach in June 2024.

Yet, Al-Ettifaq would fare even worse in Gerrard's second season, and the manager's Liverpool reunion with Achterberg would be short-lived.

Despite initially escaping the sack, his poor run of results continued.

Liverpool's legendary goalkeeping coach John Achterberg had a short-lived reunion with Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq(Image: Rene Nijhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

He would finally leave his role as manager by mutual consent in January 2025, 18 months after taking the helm.

Achterberg, who only worked alongside Gerrard for seven months, was kept on as a goalkeeping coach.

Gerrard is yet to take on a new role in the months since his failed Saudi project.