Gary Neville has shared that at Liverpool Steven Gerrard didn’t ‘stand out’ in interviews, but at Rangers and now Aston Villa, he has been ‘absolutely outstanding’, as he told Sky Sports.
Since his Liverpool days, it’s one thing that Neville thinks has changed about Gerrard, with the legendary midfielder swapping the Rangers dugout for Villa’s in November.
Rangers had just won the Premiership title and they were looking to defend their crown with the Englishman, so his decision to leave was a controversial one.
But life at Villa Park has started in a very positive fashion for Gerrard and he recently helped his side record a 1-0 win at Everton.
Neville shared the same dressing room as Gerrard for England, as well as being a coach when he was the Three Lions captain under Roy Hodgson.
The former Manchester United player seemingly expressed his shock at Gerrard speaking ‘really well’ as a manager compared to when he was a player.
“One thing that I did think listening to Steven Gerrard’s interview,” said Neville. “I was listening to him before and after the game (against Everton).
“I thought ‘he is speaking well’. I played with Steven Gerrard. I think he is absolutely outstanding in interviews.
“That goes beyond when he was England captain when I was serving under Roy Hodgson. He would do interviews all the time. And he was good then. But not special. As a player at Liverpool, he spoke well, but not someone who would really stand out.
“I didn’t see all of his interviews up at Rangers, but he really does speak well. Authoritative. He knows what he wants. The system of play, when I watch them play, he knows what he wants. I think he has had a really good start to Premier League life.”
There’s no doubt that Gerrard is walking around as a Premier League manager with a sense of arrogance and confidence.
In truth, he can do just that because he was one of the greatest midfielders to have graced the pitch.
Gerrard is also showcasing that he has the name and the pull to lure the big-name players to Villa Park, despite the Midlands side not being in Europe.
That was proven by Villa signing Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne during the January transfer window and more star names could still arrive.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
