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The Reds are now flying high with hopes of an even more successful 2025/26 season after reaching new contract agreements with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

For iconic club captain Steven Gerrard, the past year has also been a whirlwind, but not in a positive sense.

Lifelong Red Gerrard took the bold step to join the Saudi Arabian hype train in July 2023, taking over as Al-Ettifaq's manager seven months after an unsuccessful stint at Aston Villa.

This time last year, the former England midfielder was nearing the end of his first season in Saudi Arabia.

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

His relationship with Gerrard from their time together at Liverpool led him to take up the role of goalkeeping coach at Al-Ettifaq in June 2024.

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

With Al-Ettifaq 12th in the league and having managed just 11 points after 10 games, club bosses sacked Gerrard’s assistant manager Dean Holden and sporting director Mark Allen last November.

Having signed a two-year extension just a year earlier, Gerrard said: "Football is unpredictable and sometimes things don't go the way we want.

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

"However, I leave with great respect for the club and the country.

Achterberg, who had a brief seven-month spell working with Gerrard, is still at the club as a goalkeeping coach.

Gerrard, meanwhile, hasn't yet jumped back into management since his Saudi venture came to an end.