Everything Steve Clarke said about Steven Gerrard at Rangers as big Ibrox return news emerges
Steven Gerrard is heavily linked with a return to Rangers after Russell Martin’s sacking.
The Liverpool legend has been without a job since January, when he left Al-Ettifaq.
However, the former Villa manager has remained well-liked among the Ibrox faithful, with many pushing for a return.
Now, reports suggest that Gerrard is set to meet with Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe for Rangers talks in London over the next few days.
It would no doubt be a sensational return if all goes through, with Steve Clarke once being for the appointment.
Steve Clarke: Steven Gerrard appointment is good for Scottish football
While the return of the former Liverpool star could prove to be controversial, many are for the appointment.
Ex-Rangers star Ryan Jack has backed Gerrard to succeed at Ibrox if he returns, with the manager set to bring togetherness back to the Gers.
Another name who has previously approved of the appointment is Clarke. The Scotland national team manager was in the Premiership with Kilmarnock when Gerrard was brought in for his first spell, being pleased with Rangers’ decision at the time.
He told BBC Sport on 4 May 2018: “Every manager was a rookie one day,” said Clarke.
“He’s a great player, really good person.
“I’d like to think the general image of Scottish football at the moment is quite positive. We have to work hard every year, every week, every month to try and keep that positivity around it.
“Hopefully you keep getting bigger names and more high-profile people in, which can only be good for the game in Scotland.”
Clarke and Gerrard have had their disagreements
While Clarke may have been happy about the appointment, the two managers have still had their disagreements.
Clarke had previously coached Gerrard when he was at Liverpool, and the two men know each other well.
However, this did not stop the former Kilmarnock boss from criticising Gerrard for getting “personal” amid a dispute over diving.
- Gerrard was appointed at Rangers in 2018
- The Liverpool legend won the Scottish Premiership title in the 2021 campaign
- Gerrard left Rangers in 2021 to go to Aston Villa
“I mentioned some incidents, no names,” said Clarke to BBC Sport on 8 February 2019.
“I mentioned the fact that one of our players and another player, I didn’t mention the name, were involved in similar incidents, and I just asked for consistency of the process.
“I’m a little bit disappointed, obviously, that Steven came back more personal than I had [when I] made the original comment. I made a wide-ranging amount of comments about consistency, and I’ve been consistent in asking for consistency since August.”
Gerrard to Rangers could be a disaster
As much as Rangers fans will be hopeful of a Gerrard return, it has every chance of being a disaster.
There have been few times in history when the return of a manager has worked out for the better.
On top of this, barring his Scottish Premiership title victory, Gerrard achieved little in his three years at Ibrox.
Given the task he now has, he will have his work cut out if he is to turn around Rangers’ fortunes, in what will be a monumental task.
With managers like Sean Dyche also linked to Rangers, it remains to be seen if Gerrard does return to Ibrox.
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