Steven Gerrard has hailed the Rangers hierarchy for helping him recruit an “absolutely brilliant” backroom staff.
The Liverpool icon has revealed in an interview with the Guardian “he wasn’t expecting the Rangers offer” to become their new manager in May and admitted it might have come a “bit early” in his coaching career.
But Gerrard is grateful for the support of the Ibrox board in helping him assemble a coaching team that has made up for his lack of first-hand experience following a year spent managing Liverpool Under-18s.
Gerrard told the Guardian: “I learned a lot preparing and delivering sessions, speaking to players one-to-one, using different formations. It gave me a year’s driving lessons. I wasn’t expecting the Rangers offer. Do I think it came a bit early? Probably.
“But when it’s a club as big as Rangers you only get one opportunity to manage them. So I had to reflect. Where am I strong? Who do I need to help me in areas where I lack experience? The staff Rangers put around me have been absolutely brilliant.”
OPINION
Hats off to the Rangers board for sanctioning deals for a backroom team who could help Gerrard settle into his first managerial role, easing the burden and providing top-class expertise and sounding boards around him. Michael Beale, Tom Culshaw and Jordan Milson quit Liverpool’s academy to head to Rangers over the summer to take up roles as first-team coach, technical coach and head of performance with the Scottish club respectively. Gary McAllister, a former teammate of Gerrard’s at Liverpool and the man seen alongside him in the dugout on matchday, provides crucial knowhow and knowledge as the number two to the manager. What is certain is that none of this would have come cheaply for a club who posted a loss in their most recent set of financial accounts.