Alfredo Morelos v Ally McCoist: There is no comparison says Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on Alfredo Morelos for his latest Europa League heroics for Rangers but insists he can’t be compared to the Ibrox club’s all-time leading scorer Ally McCoist.

GIBRALTAR, GIBRALTAR - SEPTEMBER 17: Alfredo Morelos of Rangers scores his team's fifth goal during the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round match between Lincoln Red Imps and Rangers at Victoria Stadium on September 17, 2020 in Gibraltar, Gibraltar. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Morelos came off the bench to net twice in Rangers’ 5-0 second qualifying round win over Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar, taking his tally of goals in the tournament to 20 over the past three seasons.

It leaves him just one behind McCoist’s record haul of 21 European goals for the club but Rangers manager Gerrard doesn’t believe the Colombian striker can be afforded similar status in the club’s history until he helps them win silverware.

“He’s a top striker, an incredible finisher,” said Gerrard of Morelos who followed up a predatory close range tap-in with a cute chipped finish in Rangers’ rout of their semi-professional opponents.

“You saw it especially with his second goal, but the first goal is just as good for me because he attacks the goal frame.

“I’m sure Ally McCoist watching that will be very happy. But there’s a big difference between Alfredo Morelos and Ally McCoist.

“Ally McCoist won trophies here, he was successful here. So we can’t speak about those two players in the same breath, not yet.”

Gerrard had mixed feelings about his team’s display at the Victoria Stadium where James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Jermain Defoe were also on target as Rangers booked a trip to face Dutch side Willem II in the third qualifying round next Thursday.

“It was professional, job done,” Gerrard told Rangers TV. “That was the plan coming here, we wanted to get a win and a clean sheet and move onto the next fixture because the next couple of weeks are going to be a lot more important and a lot more difficult.

“So it was about getting through. We scored five good goals, kept a clean sheet and really didn’t get out of first gear.

“I don’t think it was a good performance. We made it complicated for the majority of it. But we’ll take a lot of positives in terms of getting people minutes - Jermain Defoe gets a goal, Buff (Morelos) gets a couple. I thought the goals were outstanding.

“It was nice to have the luxury to give people the opportunity to play. Young Nathan Patterson got another run-out, it’s good experience for him.

“So we’ll take the positives and move on but the all-round performance, we didn’t get out of first gear.”

Rangers lost forward Kemar Roofe to a leg muscle injury before half-time but Gerrard is optimistic the summer signing from Anderlecht does not face a lengthy lay-off.

“There is an issue but we are hoping it’s not a big one,” said Gerrard. “He said he could feel a bit of tightness so hopefully he’s done the sensible thing and told us before it’s got worse. We’ll have a look at it in the next day or so but hopefully, fingers crossed, he should be okay.”

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