Aston Villa hire Gerrard as manager

Birmingham, Nov 11: Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard took his first coaching role in the English Premier League when he was hired as Aston Villa manager on Thursday, ending a 3½-year stint in Scotland where he transformed the fortunes of Rangers. Villa moved quickly to appoint Gerrard after firing Dean Smith on Sunday, with the club having lost five straight games in the league. Gerrard is one of Liverpool’s greatest players and had previously coached in the team’s academy. (AP)