Rangers introduced Friday that former Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard is their new manager, becoming a member of the Scottish Premiership club on a 4-year deal.
“i am honoured to emerge as the following supervisor of Rangers,” Gerrard said in a statement at the club's internet site.
“i've tremendous respect for this football membership, and its records and way of life. “
Gerrard became an inspirational captain and Champions League winner in a 17-12 months career at Anfield but as a managerial rookie, the 37-12 months-vintage faces a big task to compete with bitter rivals Celtic for domestic dominance in Scotland.
Celtic's five-zero thrashing of Rangers on Sunday sealed a seventh straight Scottish Premiership name for the inexperienced-and-white facet of Glasgow.
Gerrard additionally faces the project of outfoxing his former supervisor at Liverpool in Celtic's Brendan Rodgers.
in only underneath two years on the grounds that taking fee at Celtic Park, Rodgers has won nine and drawn two of his 11 meetings with Rangers, with his side scoring 30 goals within the procedure.
the advent of the former England captain might repair some star electricity to a league that has found it more and more difficult to attract and maintain directly to pinnacle gamers towards the booming television sales of the choicest League.
Rangers are still getting better from the fallout in their liquidation in 2012 and next demotion to the fourth tier of Scottish football.
in their 2d season back inside the pinnacle flight, Rangers trail Celtic by way of thirteen points, and are locked in a war with Aberdeen and Hibernian just to finish 2nd.
Rangers enthusiasts excited by way of the chance of Gerrard's arrival have noted his stature as helping the Ibrox membership's ability to recruit a higher exceptional player in what is anticipated to be a busy transfer window.
however Rangers still have to triumph over a large monetary disparity with Celtic.
bolstered by sales from the Champions League, Celtic's ninety million ($122 million) turnover final 12 months was 3 instances that in their old firm competitors.
making a bet on an green manager with no preceding ties to Scottish soccer is likewise visible as any other massive risk taken with the aid of Rangers' beleaguered board.
Caretaker supervisor Graeme Murty, who had been promoted from his function because the membership's under-20 instruct, become sacked this week after six months in price.