Rangers boss Steven Gerrard pays touching tribute to Walter Smith
By Daniel Feliciano
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard broke down while paying an emotional tribute to legend Walter Smith, who passed away on Tuesday.
The former Gers manager and chairman lost his long battle with illness, the club announced in the morning, and received an outpouring of tributes from legendary figures across the game.
One of those to pay tribute was current Ibrox boss Gerrard, who sat down with Rangers TV to pay tribute to the ten-time Scottish league winner and couldn’t help but break down while speaking about him.
“It’s obviously still very raw, but it is a very sad day for anyone connected with the club,” Gerrard said. “Walter was an incredible leader, a very successful manager at Rangers and he epitomised everything that this club stands for.
“His DNA is all over the club and obviously it’s a very sad day for the club.”
Gerrard revealed that Smith had been supportive of him since his first day at the club and credited him for making him a better person.
“I’ve had many a coffee, lunches, dinners and chats with him, private time with him in my office,” Gerrard added. “He’s obviously going to be a very big loss to a lot of people. As you say he’s decorated all over the club and he will be forever because he gave many, many years to this football club.
“He loved the club. He was honest, he was genuine and he’s made me a better person, so I’ve got nothing but good words to say.”
Gerrard went on to say that he was fortunate for getting to work alongside such a legend during his time at Ibrox.
He said: “I was the lucky one. To know him, spend time with him, and so have an awful lot of other people who have their own special memories of a great man. It’s going to be emotional in the coming days and weeks but the best tribute I and we as a team can do, is be united and try to win the game tomorrow. That’s the best tribute we can do for him.”
RIP, legend
Smith’s legendary status at Rangers will never be forgotten, with 21 trophies across ten years in two spells at the club making him the second most successful manager in the club’s history.
His personality and charisma were second to none but he was also a genius when it came to the football side of things too.
He was in charge for seven of the nine titles in a row during the 1990s and his impact on the club will be remembered forever. Gerrard is absolutely right when he says that the best thing Rangers can do for him right now is to win the game against Aberdeen on Wednesday night in his honour in what is sure to be an emotional night at Ibrox.
Genuine, honest and caring are words that are constantly being repeated in tributes to Smith which tells you everything you need to know about the man.
Rest in peace to one of the best ever.
In other Rangers news, Paul Gascoigne has also paid tribute to Smith.