'The players are onto me!' - Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard admits he's been planning Al-Ettifaq training sessions around Liverpool games to the displeasure of his squad

Gerrard has been a Liverpool fan since childhood, and his connection to the Merseyside club remains as strong as ever, even while managing in the Saudi Pro League. He shifted base to the Middle East in 2023 after a disappointing spell at Aston Villa and is gradually making a name for himself as a manager in the burgeoning league with his troops currently placed ninth in the standings after seven matchdays.

Speaking during a live charity stream for Zoe’s Place, Gerrard, along with his goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, opened up about his unusual scheduling habits. Both ex-Liverpool figures joined The Redmen TV to share their insights, where Gerrard said: "Both myself and John (Achterberg) have got one eye on it. We put all our schedule around the Liverpool games."

The Liverpool legend acknowledged that this scheduling quirk has led to some pushback from Al-Ettifaq players, as they find themselves training late at night to accommodate his passion for following his former club.

"The players are onto me now; we’ve been training at 9 or 10 at night!" he added.

The Dammam-based team, operating in a time zone two hours ahead of the UK, does not observe daylight saving time, making the time differences significant. However, that does not prevent Gerrard from catching up with Liverpool's fixtures, even if it means burning the midnight oil.

This week promises to be an exciting one for Liverpool supporters, and Gerrard is determined not to miss any of the action. They start with a Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday and just a few days later, the Reds will face Arsenal in a much-anticipated Premier League match.