Rangers boss Steven Gerrard: Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino are what I aspire to be

Steven Gerrard used the morning school run as an excuse to duck out of Anfield early on Tuesday night.

But the Rangers manager admits nerves simply got the better of him as he found himself unable to stay until the end of his old club’s masterclass of a Champions League comeback against Barcelona.

Gerrard, who inspired the “Miracle of Istanbul” as Liverpool captain when they came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in the 2005 final, was overcome by tension as he watched Jurgen Klopp’s class of 2019 overturn their 3-0 first-leg deficit in an epic semi-final against the Catalans. “I couldn’t cope with the final few minutes, I had to leave,” he revealed. “I couldn’t cope when it went to 4-0.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I had visions of a couple of ex-team-mates (Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho) or the best player in the world (Lionel Messi) breaking my heart, so I decided to leave.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says he wants to learn from bosses like Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Neil TaylorRangers manager Steven Gerrard says he wants to learn from bosses like Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Neil Taylor
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says he wants to learn from bosses like Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Neil Taylor

“To be honest with you, the main reason I left early was because I had my seven-year-old daughter with me. She had school the next day – but I would be a liar if I said there were no nerves and I wasn’t scared! It was the best decision to just get out of there. Thankfully we got over the line and I’m really pleased.”

Gerrard’s continuing reference to Liverpool as “we” is an unsurprising indication of how deeply ingrained the club remain in his heart.

As he progresses his fledgling managerial career, he is tapping into the effect Klopp has had at Liverpool to inform his own efforts to restore Rangers to a pre-eminent position in Scottish football.

“I think there is a respect there between us,” added Gerrard.

“I understand Jurgen’s job is 24/7 and he doesn’t need me nagging him or being in his face. He has a huge job to do at the club and, as a Liverpool fan, I hope he stays there for many, many years. He is a top coach and he is doing an incredible job there.

“But what I will say is that every time I have met him or come across him he has been brilliant. Recently I went down to do an interview with him for the final stage of my Uefa pro licence course.

“It was meant to be 15 minutes and he had me in there for an hour and a half. He is one of those people who is real and authentic, who will give you everything you need and more.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He is an open book and to be fair every time I have asked him for anything – not that I’ve asked him for a lot – he has gone above and beyond.

“From where I am sitting in my career, you aspire to be as good as all the top managers in the world, of course you do. So I look at people like Jurgen and also Mauricio Pochettino, whose reaction after Spurs beat Ajax on Wednesday night was just brilliant. I loved that emotion.

“Their level of experience and what they’ve been through, those two are obviously a lot further down the line than I am in this business. But I try to watch those people – their interviews, what they do and how they behave.

“Tactically, you try to learn from them because Jurgen and Pochettino are probably two of the best in the world.

“Those two have come up on the rails alongside your Jose Mourinhos of the world and rightly so with what they have achieved over the last couple of years at their clubs. They deserve to be mentioned as being amongst the best managers in the world.”

As Gerrard prepares for Rangers’ final home game of the season against Celtic on Sunday, he says Tuesday night at Anfield refuelled his desire to deliver big occasions at Ibrox on a regular basis.

“As the noise was getting louder and louder, it took me back to some of my own playing days at Anfield,” he said. “But it also took be back to the last Old Firm game at Ibrox in December and maybe the last 15 minutes of our Europa League tie at home to Rapid Vienna this season. If we can get close to some big success at Rangers, there is no doubt our fans are going to be with us, making that type of noise.

“Hopefully we can get some special nights at Ibrox because that’s what I signed up for. These fans are desperate for situations like that and we’ve got a responsibility to try to deliver it. We’ve progressed this season but there is still a lot of work to do for us to get that close and get those nights back at Ibrox.”