Steven Gerrard confidant reveals brutal Saudi truths facing former Rangers boss in battle not to be 'exposed'

The former assistant boss of Steven Gerrard admits outside the box thinking is a necessity to avoid being "exposed" in the Saudi Pro League.

Ian Foster swapped a role as a key lieutenant at Al-Ettifaq for the top job at Plymouth Argyle and was effusive in his praise of the standard of opposition he and the former Rangers boss faced in the Middle East. It comes with Gerrard facing a battle to arrest his side's fortunes as they remain winless since October. The Liverpool icon issued a call to arms to his board in the search for new talent but reports in Saudi state Gerrard is under pressure with his side trailing leaders Al-Hilal by 28 points after 19 games.

And now Foster – tasked with continuing Argyle's upwards trajectory after promotion to the Championship – insists he relished the outside the box realities of competing in the cash-rich league. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Those types of challenges as a coach are brilliant, because it makes you better. It's not players arrive at 09:00 for breakfast, train at 10:30. You have to think differently, you have to be on your toes with it. You're playing against some of the best players to have ever graced the game.

"You go against Al-Nassr and it's [Alex] Telles and [Sadio] Mane and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, you go against Al-Ahli and it's [Allan] Saint-Maximin, [Roberto] Firmino and [Riyad] Mahrez, Al-Hilal is Neymar, [Aleksandar] Mitrovic and Malcom. It's challenging as a coach, which is brilliant, because if you don't get it right they'll expose you."

And Foster has hailed Jordan Henderson with the Ettifaq star reportedly keen to cut his stint in Saudi short after only six months in the Middle Easter after leaving Liverpool.

He added: "He's immaculate in everything he