Seven Gerrard admits being closer to his family was key to leaving Rangers for Aston Villa.

With the Villa job coming up it gave Gerrard the chance to return to the Premier League and take over at a club looking to return to European football.

It also gave Gerrard the chance to move closer to his family on Merseyside.

"It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down for two main reasons: one, being back in the Premier League with the size of the club, to challenge myself against the best and working with elite footballers," Gerrard told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"And, from a geographical point of view, to be close to my kids. My son is four and a half and I was missing for three and a half of those years.

"In any walk of life, to not have one night in your own bed is not the ideal or perfect situation. We decide what career paths and decisions we want to make and we have to go and do that."

"I committed everything I had to the Rangers project and we did a very good job up there but for me it was about the next challenge, the opportunity to come back into the Premier League.

"I am very happy because I see more of my family, my family might not be as happy as me seeing more of me, but I am good."