Steven Gerrard is one of the biggest names to move to the Saudi Pro League – but he and his wife Alex Curran do not even live in Saudi Arabia.
Gerrard has been managing out in the Middle East with Al-Ettifaq since the summer of 2023, after the Liverpool icon was sacked by Aston Villa. He brought with him a host of big name players, including ex-Reds skipper Jordan Henderson, another former Merseysider in Georginio Wijnaldum and ex-Everton star Demarai Gray.
On the pitch, Gerrard has struggled to live up to his illustrious name, guiding the club to a sixth placed finish in his first campaign. He was rewarded with a new two-year contract in January 2024, which extends his still until 2027, although the current season has been equally as difficult, with the Saudi side currently 11th in a division of 18 teams.
Despite his role, Gerrard and his family reportedly live in the Bahraini village of Hamala, which is close to the Saudi Arabian city of Dammam, where Al-Ettifaq are based. Fortunately for Gerrard, he is able to drive across the border separating the two countries with little hassle, thanks to a special pass.
Former Al-Riyadh and Watford striker Andre Gray offered an insight into the journey Gerrard would have to take every day. He told the Fozcast: “I think where Gerrard’s team is, that’s next to Bahrain. You have to get across the border, but I think they have a pass.
“So it’s like the toll, you know you’ve already got an automatic thing where you go straight through. I think they’ll have that, otherwise you’ll get stuck at the border.”
Gerrard and his family are said to live in a luxurious villa within the Bahraini village, which features a swimming pool, a games room and plenty of high quality restaurants and clubs. Their glamorous home costs around £10,000 per month, which is a fraction of Gerrard’s reported £15million per year salary.
It’s understood his other half Alex was the person who preferred to live in Bahrain, which is more Westernised than Saudi. While Gerrard may not have envisaged coaching in the Middle East when he won the Scottish Premiership while going unbeaten with Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign, he admitted that he is now settled in the area.
Shortly after signing his new deal last year, he said: “The renewal decision brought a lot of positive feelings for me and my family, as it was the culmination of the hard work and true dedication that everyone showed from day one.
“From the beginning, we realised the size of the responsibility and the number of challenges that awaited us, which prompted us to invest in creating new infrastructure, such as new training facilities and building a new stadium.
“We have achieved remarkable progress in these projects, as a result of the mutual trust between me and the club management.”
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