Steven Gerrard has always made it very clear he was never going to stay at Rangers for long.
The Liverpool legend headed north to make his big move into management, taking charge of the Glasgow side in 2018 and ending Celtic’s nine-year stranglehold on the Scottish title in 2021.
However, Gerrard is departing the Scottish champions after being appointed manager of Aston Villa, who moved swiftly to bring in the 41-year-old following the sacking of Dean Smith earlier this month.
Despite being midway through the current campaign, Gerrard has decided the opportunity to head back down south is one he cannot refuse and has signed a deal in the West Midlands until the summer of 2025.
One person who will be particularly thrilled with the switch is Gerrard's wife, Alex Curran, who wanted her husband to leave Rangers a year ago.
When Gerrard went to play for LA Galaxy in 2015, the family upped sticks and moved to America, but it was a different story when he headed to Scotland.
For more of the news you care about, straight to your inbox, sign up for one of our daily newsletters here.
The former Liverpool captain started a relationship with the model in 2002 then tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Buckinghamshire in 2007.
The couple had three daughters, Lilly-Ella, Lexie and Lourdes when Steven signed an an 18-month deal with LA Galaxy, which was said to be worth £4million a year, back in 2015.
They moved to Los Angeles and the club is said to have put the couple and their three daughters up in a £16.8m home.
Admitting it was the right decision for the family, Alex told The Mirror at the time: "He has an 18-month deal, but I hope he gets it extended because it’s great here.
"I’d love to stay here longer. It’s so different to Liverpool, but I think we’ll be really happy."
However, the pair reportedly grew homesick and missed their families so decided to return to the UK after Gerrard's second season at the MLS club.
After his retirement from professional football, Gerrard became a Liverpool youth coach and Alex gave birth to their first son, Lio.
Then he got the Rangers gig ahead of the 2018-19 season, but the big difference this time was that Alex and the kids would be staying in Liverpool.
Gerrard joked that his family would be happy to be "rid" of him and would make frequent trips north of the border, but he would later reveal his anguish at being separated.
"It comes with its challenges, in terms of the family situation and I am not going to be at Rangers forever," he told The Daily Mail at the start of the year, then referenced talk of him becoming the Liverpool boss in the future.
"I understand that. I have got dreams of one day going down south and managing teams down there but I am in no rush, I haven't got a date or a time so I haven't really thought too much about what Jamie said in that interview."
Gerrard has admitted he paid the price for starting his managerial career in Scotland and that Alex would want him to quit to spend more time with his family.
Last October, he told the High Performance Podcast : "There are times when it dominates your life and you can’t control that. That’s what it is.
"But there will be a stage in my life where I have to give it up, for the sake of my family and for myself. To cut it, and live life with a bit of peace.
"There’s got to be a stage of your life where you have calm and peace, but at the moment I don’t feel ready for it.
"I do still feel full of energy. I do think I can help players. I do see opportunities to have more highs, and buzzes, and adrenaline rushes.
"For Alex and the kids, at some stage, I’m going to have to give me self to them, 100%. When that will be, who knows?
"Alex would take it tomorrow. She’d take it tomorrow."
While Gerrard isn't quite ready to give up football just yet, the former England midfielder's wife will be happy he's moving far closer to home.
Villa moved swiftly this week to prise Gerrard away from Ibrox after making him their No.1 target and duly reached a compensation agreement with Rangers, which is believed to be in excess of £4million.
Gerrard had not planned on leaving Rangers mid-season as he was pushing for back-to-back Premiership triumphs and hoping to make further progress in Europe, but the opportunity presented by Villa was deemed too good to miss.
"Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new Head Coach," he explained.
"In my conversations with Nassef [Sawiris], Wes [Edens] and the rest of the Board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everybody associated with Glasgow Rangers for giving me the opportunity to manage such an iconic football club.
"Helping them secure a record-breaking 55th league title will always hold a special place in my heart. I would like to wish the players, staff and supporters the very best for the future."
Have you got a story to sh are? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
