Steven Gerrard says Antonio Conte’s harsh Tottenham rule being mimicked at Aston Villa

Steven Gerrard says Aston Villa have already banned ketchup just like Tottenham boss Antonio Conte. The new, proud manager of the Villains held his first press conference this morning following his arrival from Rangers last week – a coup that cost Villa Park chiefs around £3million in compensation.

Gerrard took his first session at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground on Monday and he is now welcoming back the squad’s international players.

The former Liverpool captain has been joined by fellow coaches Gary McAlister and Michael Beale in the Midlands as he looks to shake things up and drive Villa up the table.

A run of five straight Premier League defeats saw newly-appointed Norwich boss Dean Smith removed from his duties following the 1-0 loss on the road at Southampton.

Now Gerrard has revealed the Villa squad are already focused on marginal gains as he looks to drive the same standards that saw him cement his place as a Premier League legend during his playing days.

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Reports suggest the decision was received positively by the Tottenham squad, who are eager to start climbing the table.

Speaking in his first-ever interview as Aston Villa boss, Gerrard made it clear that he sees major differences between the Premier League and Scotland, while acknowledging that he felt he’d done his job at Rangers by winning the SPFL title.

“I obviously have to respect that the leagues are very different in terms of the level but I’ve learned an awful lot in the past three-and-a-half years,” Gerrard told Villa TV.

“I’ve lived under that pressure and that demand to win every single week and compete.

“There was a big building job to be done there and I can walk away with my head held high for sure, but I think going into another league – different teams, different coaches, different challenges – that’s something that I will adapt to pretty quickly.

“The good thing is I’ve played many years in the league so I know the level, I know the players, I know the styles and I’ve got a really experienced group of coaches as well to be there, who are a real rock to me.

“We’re also going to use some existing staff so I’m really looking forward to building relationships for them to bring their skillsets. I think it’s really, really exciting and I can’t wait to get going.”