Wayne Rooney hits back at what Steven Gerrard said as Rangers close in on new manager hire
Steven Gerrard is closing in on becoming the next Rangers manager.
Gerrard had talks with Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe to discuss the possibility of him returning to Ibrox for a second spell.
Following the sacking of Russell Martin, the Rangers board will be desperate to secure their man before the Bears return to action against Dundee United on 18 October.
Gerrard’s former England teammate Wayne Rooney has responded to him regarding a comment he made on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
Wayne Rooney shuts down Steven Gerrard’s England claim
Gerrard and Rooney won 234 caps for England between them, with both players having gone into management since retirement.
On 7 October, Gerrard said: “I didn’t feel part of a team. I didn’t feel connected with my team-mates, with England.”
England’s famous golden generation never managed to win any silverware, with many players suggesting that there was no feeling of teamwork due to the intense club rivalries that were taking place at the time.
On The Wayne Rooney Show on 10 October, Rooney hit back at those claims, and he said: “Obviously, we didn’t win anything.
“I wouldn’t quite put it that way, but I know what he’s saying. There were a lot of big characters in the dressing room.
“I wouldn’t say [England squads now have a] better attitude. That’s disrespectful to us as players because we worked hard, we tried. We didn’t quite manage to do it.
| Stat | Gerrard | Rooney |
| Appearances | 114 | 120 |
| Goals | 21 | 53 |
| Assists | 8 | 7 |
While Gerrard may have never felt that camaraderie in his England career, he’ll certainly have to cultivate a positive mentality amongst the current crop of Rangers players.
Former England coach Steve Holland could join Rangers alongside Gerrard, with the 55-year-old spending invaluable years as Gareth Southgate’s right-hand man during his England reign.
Bears fans are itching for Gerrard to achieve further success at the club, yet that looks to be an almighty task at this moment in time.
Rangers captain James Tavernier has admitted that Rangers struggled under Russell Martin, yet he’ll need to resume his brilliant form under Gerrard if the squad can start playing like a cohesive team.
Steven Gerrard will need leaders to step up for Rangers
Whilst Gerrard may not have felt togetherness whilst playing for England, he’ll certainly need to use his brilliant man-management skills in Govan this time round.
Tavernier registered 29 goal contributions in 46 games during the 2020-21 season under Gerrard, and the 45-year-old will be hoping he can count on his marauding right-back once more.
Aside from Jack Butland and John Souttar, the majority of the Rangers players are either new arrivals or young prospects.
It’ll be up to Gerrard and the leadership group to help get the best out of Rangers and achieve something that Gerrard failed to do at England: compete for trophies.
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