Former England and Liverpool star Steven Gerrard was one of the greatest ever midfielders to play the game in England. He had a major role in success for the Reds and the Three Lions, providing a driving force from the centre of the field.
The Whiston-born man was as skilled in defence as he was in attack, and his winning mentality set him apart from other strong midfielders of the time. Gerrard played under some world-famous managers, and, at 40 years old, he is now boss of a respected club himself, serving as manager at Glasgow Rangers.
Gerrard recently led his men to their 55th Scottish championship and a first league title in 10 years. He has installed pride back into the Govan club betting traders at Bovada expect Gers will dominate the Scottish Premiership for years to come.
Gerrard leads Gers back to the Champions League
Gerrard seems happy in Scottish football, leading his men to the title and back into the Champions League. His light blues twice made it to the Round of 16 of the Europa League despite joining the competition at the qualifying stages.
As well as using his wealth of experience to improve the better players that were already at
Rangers when he arrived, including Scotland midfielder Ryan Jack and Columbian striker Alfredo Morelos, Gerrard has used his book of contacts to strengthen the squad. Former England striker Jermain Defoe headed north to support the cause, and Liverpool’s rising star Ryan Kent signed in a big-money deal.
Despite being backed by the Rangers board during his time as club boss, the cash available to Steven is lighter than the riches followers of the English Premier League have become used to in recent seasons. There are no ten million-plus deals for single players, and it’s a big ask getting the household names to play every week in Scotland. But Gerrard has done the best he can with what is at his disposal.
For many followers of the beautiful game, that is more impressive than an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Mikel Arteta or Frank Lampard. They have benefited from an open cheque book and the draw of the most famous division in world football.
The big names are watching
Success in football rarely goes unnoticed, and when it comes from a blockbuster name cutting his teeth in football management, the big names of the sport sit up and take note. Of course, Gerrard’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed, and fans of Glasgow Rangers fear their manager could be prized away from them before his rebuilding job is complete.
Will the lure of the Premier League prove too much for Steven and his backroom staff? It’s certainly possible, and a few teams are already rumoured to be showing an interest. Several newspapers in Scotland and England report clubs from the Championship have tested the water. Having won his first championship as a manager, that interest is likely to spill over to the Premier League teams and the top names from European football.
The obvious choice would be a move to Liverpool, replacing current Anfield leader Jurgen Klopp. The German has worked wonders at the Reds over the last few years, leading them to Premier League and Champions League success. However, the 2020/21 campaign was a disappointing one as the club surrendered the trophy to Manchester City without putting up much of a fight.
Klopp’s future remains unclear
Despite his recent success, Klopp’s future remains unclear, and some sections of the sporting press suggest he may be looking to take a break from the challenges of football management for personal reasons. If that’s true, the board could turn to their former golden boy Gerrard to take them forward.
He remains somewhat of a novice in management. Still, his title-winning experience pushes him above other less experienced and younger bosses operating in the top tier of English football.
The embarrassment of the failed European Super League has caused a divide between the club and the fans. Could Gerrard’s return help mend that? If not this season, it is undoubtedly one for the future, especially if Gerrard continues to progress in Europe and can ramp up his trophy success in Scotland after getting off the mark this season.