Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has said he will have no split loyalties when his side come up against his former club Liverpool next month.
The 41-year-old took over at Villa Park last week following the dismissal of Dean Smith.
The Birmingham based side parted ways with Smith after a run of five league defeats left them 16th in the table.
They identified the former England star as their number one target to take over and managed to secure his services after paying £2.5 million in compensation to Rangers.
Now in his first in-depth interview after the appointment, Gerrard insisted that his focus is on achieving success even at the expense of his former team.
He told VillaTV on being enquired on the buildup to his Anfield return: “I don’t think me or anyone else will be able to control the noise. For me, that’s not important.
“What is important is the chance to go to Anfield and win, to take maximum points, which is the attitude and mentality we have going into every game. It is what it is.
“I want to win every game. My priority and focus, and everything I will give on a daily basis, will be for Aston Villa. One thing I can guarantee the supporters, the players and the staff here is that when I commit to something, I’m all in.”
Gerrard became the manager of Scottish side Rangers in May 2018 after the dismissal of Graeme Murty.
He led the Gers to their first victory over archrivals Celtic since 2012 in December that year.
The Glasgow based side finished second in the Scottish Premiership table for two seasons under the English boss.
However, the 41-year-old finally ended the domestic dominance of Celtic in 2020-21 when he guided the Light Blues to their first league title in 10 years. His side achieved the incredible feat without losing a single league match.
The former Liverpool star is a highly qualified manager who can become a big success at Aston Villa.