Why Rangers fans will love Steven Gerrard response in 'toughest' Derek McInnes claim
Rangers fans still have respect for Steven Gerrard, even if the manner of his exit was far from ideal.
The former Liverpool midfielder ended the Gers' league title drought, winning the William Hill Premiership in the 2020-21 campaign.
While some were disappointed to see the 46-year-old leave midway through the season for Aston Villa, his achievements in G51 can't be overshadowed.
Gerrard has been consistently linked with a return to Ibrox in recent months, but Derek McInnes took the reins in the summer after Danny Rohl's departure.
The 55-year-old head coach has built quite a reputation in Scottish football and is now looking to win his first league title as manager with the Glaswegian outfit.
With McInnes turning the tide at the Govan side after beating Celtic back-to-back, his job is surely safe, and Gerrard has made sure not to tread on any toes.
Derek McInnes feature that Steven Gerrard respects
Gerrard's return to Rangers has been a topic of discussion for a while now, stretching back to before Russell Martin was appointed.
Since then, the Liverpool icon's name has emerged as an option to take over during the two recent managerial changes at Ibrox.
The former England international had his most successful managerial spell at the Light Blues, before struggling at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.
While the Glaswegian outfit certainly don't need a new head coach right now, Gerrard has left the door open to a future return.
Fans in G51 will love that the Englishman wants McInnes to succeed, as he hopes that the Glaswegian outfit don't find themselves in a position again where they have to turn their attention towards him.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder's lack of public appearances at Ibrox is because he doesn't want the noise of his presence to be a distraction for the head coaches in charge of the Govan side.
"Who knows. What I would say is, I've been reluctant to come up for a certain amount of time and sit in the box with a suit on... because I don't want to disrespect any manager who is in position," Gerrard said when asked about returning to Ibrox.
Speaking on Open Goal on 4 October, he added, "I have got nothing but respect for McInnes. He was one of the toughest challenges for us as a group of staff when he was at Aberdeen.
"I hope he does well. I hope the club goes on and be successful where they maybe don't need to come and ask someone like me.
"I follow Rangers. I follow the results. I love the club. I want McInnes to be successful. I've got nothing but respect for him."
How Rangers are now benefiting from Derek McInnes appointment
McInnes was pragmatic at Aberdeen and it isn't surprising that Gerrard found games against his side challenging.
The Scottish manager almost brought the glory years back to Pittodrie Stadium as he challenged Celtic for the league title.
McInnes built a solid spine that sustained a significant period of relative success at the Dons.
The ex-Hearts boss was adept at adapting his style of play based on the personnel at his disposal.
At the Gers, McInnes' recent success has been built on defensive stability, with Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya and James Penrice forming an impressive partnership.
The Scottish manager's years of experience helped Hearts last season and he's now doing something similar at the Govan side.