Steven Gerrard to stay on at Rangers after all-time low
Former Liverpool skipper ‘ready to go again’ after disappointment
Glasgow: Steven Gerrard moved Tuesday to quell speculation about his future as manager of Rangers following last weekend’s Scottish Cup defeat by Hearts by insisting he was “ready to go again”.
After the 1-0 loss at Tynecastle on Saturday, a downbeat Gerrard said it was “the lowest I felt since I came into the job by a long way”.
The Liverpool great also said “I just need to think”, with Rangers facing the prospect of another season without a trophy.
But speaking ahead of Wednesday’s home match against Hamilton, Gerrard insisted he was staying at Ibrox.
Asked if he had thought about his future with Rangers, the former England midfielder replied: “Long term? No, no.
“I’m OK, good, ready for the next challenge which is Hamilton tomorrow.
“From the end of the game at the weekend which was bitterly disappointing, I have done a real lot of thinking to myself and shared those thoughts with people around me and I am ready to go again.”
Gerrard’s contract with the Glasgow giants runs until 2024 and he said he intended to honour that deal.
“I’m in. I’ve signed up to something here. I’m in, I’m all in,” Gerrard insisted. “I always knew there was going to be periods like this that were tough, real setbacks.”
Hearts’ Oliver Bozanic scored the only goal of the Cup tie to put the spotlight on Gerrard’s decision to drop top scorer Alfredo Morelos for disciplinary reasons.
Morelos was suspended for Rangers’ 1-0 win in Braga on Wednesday and was given permission to fly back to Colombia, but returned to Glasgow late.
Gerrard said Tuesday that Morelos had accepted his punishment, which would remain private, and would be available to face Hamilton.
“It is important that we move on from these situations, it is dealt with strongly, which it has been and we move forward,” Gerrard explained.
“Is he going to be perfect? No. Is he going to make mistakes and frustrate me from time to time, possibly.
“But I need to make sure I do the right thing for him and the club in this situation and that’s what I felt I have done,” he added.