Steven Gerrard salary draws angry Saudi response after £6.3m claim over Liverpool icon and ex-Rangers boss

Steven Gerrard's wage in Saudi Arabia has been publicly addressed by Al Ettifaq after claims over the Liverpool legend and former Rangers manager.

The ex-midfielder is now in the middle-east after his spell as boss at Aston Villa went awry. It has been a difficult season for the club, with one of their star summer signings in Jordan Henderson opting to leave just six months into his stay after arriving from Liverpool.

They are without a win since October and return to league action this week against Al Khaleej. Al Ettifaq are eighth in the 18-team league despite their run of nine games without victory in all competitions.

Gerrard was handed a new deal until 2027 last month by the club chiefs, with reports suggesting he was taking home £6.3m per year. Hatem Al-Meshal, club vice-president and chairman of the football committee, has addressed the figure on Saudi sports show SSC.

According to Shooot, he 'explicitly' denied that was the wage Gerrard was taking and revealed that it wasn't even half of that amount. The 43-year-old said of his extension last month: "We knew at the beginning this was a big job and a challenging job.

"We had to put in place new infrastructure like building a new training ground in phases and building a new stadium. But a lot has been achieved.

"It's a relationship with me and the management team above me, that's growing, that's building, it's getting stronger, and I'm really looking forward to the future.

"I also understand my position, it's a results business. I never take that for granted. I understand where we are in the league, but I am very confident we will improve."