Aston Villa have sacked former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard after just 11 months in charge.
The Englishman left Ibrox to sign a three-and-a-half year contract with the Midlands club in November 2021.
His sudden departure angered some Rangers fans, with Gerrard leaving the club just months after winning the Premiership title and with the team facing a League Cup semi-final and a crucial Europa League match in the coming days.
He led Villa to a 14th-place finish last term but had been expected to push the midlands club higher up the table in the new campaign.
Villa chiefs unseated the ex-Liverpool and England midfielder in the immediate aftermath of the 3-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham, with Gerrard paying the price for poor form and results after the Birmingham outfit won just two of 11 league outings this term.
“Aston Villa football club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect,” read a Villa statement.
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
Gerrard admitted he was in a “very difficult position” straight after Villa’s hefty loss in south west London.
The former Rangers manager insisted he would not quit his role but was shortly given no choice in the matter as Villa’s board acted swiftly to remove him.
“I’ve been sending messages to the fans for the last few weeks because I certainly share their frustration and their pain,” said Gerrard in his post-match press conference.
“I’m someone who is honest. I know that they’re not enjoying it at the moment – I’m certainly not – so we’ll see what happens moving forward.
“But you know and I know I’m in a very difficult position right now.
“We’ll see what happens moving forwards. But football is in my DNA and quitting is certainly not, so we’ll see what happens moving forwards.”
The news comes just days after Gerrard’s assistant at Ibrox, Michael Beale, turned down the opportunity to take the manager’s job at Midlands rivals Wolves.
The Englishman is currently in charge at QPR, who sit top of the English Championship after their win over Cardiff City in midweek.
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