Steven Gerrard is a hero at Rangers after stopping Celtic's 10-in-a-row title bid, with the Liverpool legend making his feelings on the importance of domestic success clear
Steven Gerrard made it clear how crucial domestic success was during his title-winning spell as Rangers boss. The Liverpool legend famously put a stop to Celtic's hopes of securing 10 straight titles by clinching the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership crown before leaving for a short-lived stint at Aston Villa early in the next season.
That 55th league title remains the last one for Rangers, with Celtic reclaiming their dominance north of the border. The Gers already look unable to halt the Hoops after a disastrous start. They're already trailing by four points and are likely heading for a Champions League exit after a crushing defeat in the first leg of their play-off round tie against Club Brugge.
With new manager Russell Martin already under pressure, there's speculation about a possible return for Gerrard to Ibrox. He was linked with the position over the summer but withdrew from consideration as he wasn't prepared to move back to the UK after managing Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.
Should he make a comeback to Rangers one day, he won't need reminding of the significance of stopping their Old Firm rivals. During Gerrard's tenure, he stumbled upon a discussion among his players about whether they would prioritise domestic or European success.
Ex-Rangers forward Kemar Roofe has shared a fascinating insight into the mindset of Gerrard during his appearance on the Undr The Cosh podcast. He revealed: "During the season, we were having a good run in the Europa League. For me, the Europa League is so good. It is better than the Scottish, respectfully, because the standard is quite a lot higher.
"We always had this debate with the players, would you rather win the Europa League or win the league? For me, I wanted to win the Europa League because you might not get that chance again, not many teams can do it.
"The gaffer, Gerrard, he comes walking in, so we asked him. And he was saying, 'No, it's the league, we need to win the league.' I didn't understand it because I was new to Scottish football and Rangers. His thing was, 'We have to win this league,' mainly because of the 55 and to stop them winning 10 [in a row]."
This sentiment will resonate with most Rangers supporters, who dread the prospect of Celtic clinching their fifth consecutive league title. After two stalemates thus far, the Light Blues are targeting their first victory of the season when they travel to St Mirren on Sunday.
This is followed by the second leg away to Brugge, who hold a 3-1 advantage, and the season's inaugural Old Firm clash at Ibrox on August 31. Roofe, 32, a title-winner who departed Rangers at the end of the 2023/24 season, is currently without a club.
He spent the latter half of last season with Derby County and has been training with the Rams, who could potentially re-sign the player. Aberdeen and Doncaster Rovers have also been linked with the ex-Leeds United striker. During his stint at Rangers, Roofe gained a deep insight into the demands of being the manager at the club.
He said: "With Rangers, to be a manager there, you have to have something about you. You have to have big shoulders. The amount of pressure to be the manager there is huge."