ASTON VILLA boss Steven Gerrard banned ketchup from the canteen in one of the first measures of stamping his authority on the club.
Gerrard took over from the sacked Dean Smith back in November, and revealed changes he had implemented in his first pre-match press conference against Brighton.
The 41-year-old revealed the Aston Villa players have no time for treats, and will not be afforded the luxury of dunking their chips into ketchup.
In his press conference Gerrard laughed: “It was banned before I had seen it!
“The players have to have the right mentality. Go above and beyond. They need to strive to be elite.”
He follows in the footsteps of Antonio Conte who immediately banned ketchup and mayonnaise at Tottenham in order to help his stars shed some weight.
Gerrard also went on to say he spoke to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after arriving in the West Midlands about his emotional return to Anfield.
The Liverpool legend was promised a famous Klopp bear-hug when he lined up in the Anfield dugout – on the away team’s bench – which he received on December 11, when the Reds ran out 1-0 winners.
Before the game, Gerrard said last year: “I’ve been in touch with Klopp since day one. We live in the same area and I bump into him when he’s walking his dogs. He is a great coach and I hope he stays for a long time.
“He sent me a message saying he was looking forward to a big hug on the side on December 11 and it’s something for me to look forward to as well.”
Gerrard’s Villa deal runs out in 2024, and that led to speculation that the ex-England man was already eyeing a return to Anfield before his first game at Villa.
However, Klopp recently signed a two-year extension to end reports of Gerrard being a potential replacement for now.
But Gerrar, who could hand Liverpool the title by beating Man City for them on Sunday, was quick to insist his eyes are firmly focused on the job in hand at Villa Park, and doesn’t have an eye on the Liverpool in the future.
He said: “It’s very unfair to describe this as stepping stone, you will never hear me say that.
“I am really honoured and proud to be here. I’m all-in and I will give this job all it needs to be successful.
“I am 100 per cent committed and so are my staff. There is nothing wrong with having dreams and aspirations.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
