Steven Gerrard said goodbye to his Aston Villa players in an early-hours meeting at the club’s training ground after travelling back to the Midlands knowing he had his lost his job.
The former Liverpool and England captain, who had just 11 months in the role, was dismissed less than two hours after the humiliating 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Thursday.
When the team coach arrived at the club’s Bodymoor Heath base, they gathered in a room at the training ground where Gerrard spoke briefly to his squad. Players and staff exchanged handshakes before going their separate ways.