Steven Gerrard spoke to members of the media on Friday afternoon as the countdown to the finale of Aston Villa’s Australian tour against Manchester United continued.
The Premier League sides meet at Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday as part of the ICON Festival of International Football.
Here’s what he had to say in the build-up to the game…
On ramping up pre-season preparations…
“We’ve prepared well and it’s the last push. The tour’s been fantastic so far and we want to finish on a high.
“We’re a couple of weeks out from the start of the season so we need to turn the dial now and we’ll introduce slightly more game time to certain individuals.
“It’s the right time, they’re ready now. They’ve had enough volume in their legs so that we can really push certain individuals.
“It gives us another opportunity to rehearse the team, the style and how we want to play, so it’s a really important game for us.”
On playing Manchester United…
“I’m looking forward to the environment. I’m looking forward to competing against a new manager (Erik ten Hag) in the Premier League. I’ve been really impressed with their performances in pre-season.
“We’ve watched all the games they’ve played and they seem in a better place. There are a lot of positive things coming out of their camp, which is different from last year.
“I was impressed with him before he arrived with the work he did at Ajax. For me and the players, the stage is set. It’s the perfect rehearsal for us two weeks out [from the Premier League starting].”
On Villa’s Australian fanbase…
“I’m not surprised but I am impressed. Everywhere we’ve been they’ve turned out in numbers and got behind the team.
“It’s fantastic for them to see this group of players up close and personal. The tour has worked from a commercial aspect, from a fan’s point of view and certainly for me as a manager, in terms of what we’ve got out physically and technically from it.”
On the team’s time in Australia…
“It’s important to know that football never takes a backseat in this club, and it never will wherever we are in the world.
“When we sat down and organised the trip, Christian Purslow put this to me and the conversation was pretty clear that we have to make sure the team, the friendlies and where we play the friendlies has to be the priority because we’re preparing for the season and it’s always got to be about football.
“In my position, you’ve got to respect that these are huge organisations and institutions that need to grow and expand globally.
“You need to come out and see your fans. We’ve got fans all over the world. In the coming years, we’ll visit different places and try to get up close and personal with as many as we can.”
