Ettifaq boss Steven Gerrard has revealed his goal is to provide a new generation to Saudi football, while revealing his delight with his club’s start of the season.
Ettifaq beat Abha 3-1 on Saturday, thanks to goals from Moussa Dembele, Robin Quaison, and Hamed Al-Ghamdi to move up to fifth in the Saudi Pro League.
The brilliant start of the season has been accredited to new manager Steven Gerrard, who started to field a number of youth players this season.
Speaking after the game: “This is our first encounter after the break, in addition to the fact that Abha city is located at a high altitude above sea level.
“We were concerned about Abha’s players, which led us to retreat.
“But in the second half, our players began to implement what we wanted, and they succeeded in scoring the first goal.
“After our first goal, Abha’s players pushed forward, and we took advantage of that to further our lead with the second and third goals, winning the match 3-1.
Regarding the young players he is fielding, Gerard said: “I was once like them and I feel for them, so it is my duty to nurture and polish their talents, and provide good players for the Saudi national team.”
