Steven Gerrard reveals he turned down offer to manage in Saudi Arabia

Steven Gerrard has revealed he has turned down the opportunity to manage in Saudi Arabia.

The Liverpool legend has been away from the dugout since last October after being sacked by Aston Villa.

A return to the touchline appeared to be on the cards after he was reportedly approached by Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq, and Gerrard had been linked with a reunion with his former team-mate and player Philippe Coutinho in the Middle East.

However, Gerrard has now confirmed that he has opted not to move to the oil-rich nation.

Speaking on Channel 4 during their coverage of England's 7-0 win over North Macedonia on Monday night, Gerrard said: 'I was invited over there to look at a potential offer, which I did.

'I have been analysing that over the last couple of days. But, as we stand right now, I won't be taking that offer up.'

Saudi Arabia have been able to attract some of the biggest names in the sport to their top division over the past six months, with Cristiano Ronaldo starting the trend when he joined Al-Nassr in December.

His ex-Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema has also decided to leave Europe behind after signing a lucrative deal with Al-Ittihad earlier this month.

A host of Chelsea players are also linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia, with N'Golo Kante closing in on a deal to join Benzema at Al-Ittihad. Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are also attracting interest from Saudi Pro League clubs.

But Gerrard has resisted the temptation to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and co.

He was recently linked with the Leicester job following the club's relegation from the Premier League, but the Foxes opted for Pep Guardiola's assistant Enzo Maresca instead.

Gerrard's wait to return to management continues, with it remaining unclear whether his next job will be in England or if he will try his luck abroad.