Dubai: Steven Gerrard admits taking the Rangers job is a huge task so early on in his managerial career but says he can’t wait to get started.
The former Liverpool captain, who was appointed coach at Ibrox last Friday, was in Dubai on Thursday to promote Sunday’s free LFC World fan experience at Barasti, where he will be present to watch the Brighton game with fans alongside fellow former Reds Steve McManaman and Gary McAllister.
McAllister will be Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers next season, so it was only natural for the conversation to deviate away from Liverpool, given the happenings of the past week.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for myself and Gary really,” said Gerrard, who will challenge his former Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers — who is now at Celtic — for the Scottish crown next season.
“Obviously the opportunity came up for a managerial role up in Scotland to lead Rangers in the SPL (Scottish Premier League) and obviously it’s a very exciting opportunity for myself and Gary and the rest of the staff we’ll take with us.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge, it’s big, and it came very quickly since I started coaching, but it’s one I’m really looking forward to.”
The 37-year-old Englishman’s only other managerial experience was overseeing Liverpool’s Under-18s this season, but he has now jumped in at the deep end with Rangers, who are only two seasons back into the top flight after having to work their way back up from the fourth tier following their 2012 liquidation.
Rangers are currently third in the SPL with one game to go this season but remain 13 points behind Rodgers’ Celtic, who have now won seven league titles in a row.
Gerrard, who scored 186 goals in 710 appearances for Liverpool between 1998 and 2015, also waded in on Liverpool’s Champions League final chances against Real Madrid in Kiev on May 26, and offered his insight having lifted the title with the club back in 2005.
“I think we’ve got a really good chance,” he said. “I wouldn’t say on current form we’re going into the game as underdogs at all, although I suppose Jurgen [Klopp] and the boys will want to go in as underdogs because it takes that little bit of pressure off.
“But I think, with the form that they are in and how they’ve performed in the last two games against Roma, and the form the front three players are in, especially Mo Salah, I think we go in with every confidence and belief that we can get the job done.
“In 2005 we were the underdogs and rightly so against a fantastic Milan side, so if you go in with confidence and belief and never give up, I’ve experienced it, it can be done.”
