Remembering Graeme Souness' Rangers score updates while managing Liverpool - and what history could mean for Steven Gerrard

There must be something about Graeme Souness and the month of April. As recounted in yesterday’s Scotsman, April 8 was the 35th anniversary of Souness’ high-profile arrival at Ibrox as player-manager.

April 1991: Graeme Souness (left) looks distinctly ill-at-ease as Rangers chairman David Murray tells a packed press conference that the manager is to leave immediately for Liverpool

It will be thirty years ago this Friday since he left for Liverpool in another blaze of publicity. it’s slightly surprising to be reminded of the tone of the coverage. “Get Lost Souness!” was one headline, “Pack your bags Souness!” was another.

Even Souness’ supreme self-assurance seemed shaken as he sat at a table looking distinctly ill-at-ease at an extraordinary press conference alongside chairman David Murray and other directors as it was announced that he would be leaving, with immediate effect. Murray had delivered the news to Souness, who told him he wanted to stay until the end of the season, that he had to go there and then.

The anger and dismay at the manager’s departure partly stemmed from Rangers still having work to do to clinch a third successive title for the first time since the war.

Fans were fearful they were about to experience what happened at Liverpool after Kenny Dalglish’s resignation following a 4-4 draw with Everton. The Anfield side went onto lose their next three games, including an FA Cup second replay to Everton and a clash with title rivals Arsenal.

At the time of Souness’ departure, Rangers were two points ahead of Aberdeen with four games left. Supporters’ fears were partly realised when the Ibrox side, now under the charge of Walter Smith, crashed 3-0 at Motherwell. It helped set up a last-day title-showdown. With Aberdeen needing only to draw at Ibrox to claim their first title since 1985, they lost to Mark Hateley’s brace.

Some fascinating footage of Souness being interviewed by Jim White the following day has emerged recently on YouTube. He reveals he was being kept up to date with events at Ibrox during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Spurs (Arsenal ended up winning the league).

“Even during our game against Tottenham, there was a guy behind me kept shouting the score out,” Souness told White. “I was delighted.” Asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I’ve made my bed”, although this couldn’t stop him referring to Rangers as “we”. He has since described the decision to leave Ibrox as “one of the biggest mistakes” of his football life.

At the time Murray was perplexed by Souness’ desire to depart “the biggest club in Britain” for Liverpool, who were then running out of steam. The current Liverpool are also toiling – their place in next season’s Champions League is in serious peril after a 3-1 quarter final first-leg defeat against Real Madrid.

Winning the trophy again appeared to be their best route into the competition after an unprecedented run of six successive home league defeats saw Jurgen Klopp’s struggling side drop out of the top four.

It’s not hard to imagine current Rangers manager Steven Gerrard having the ‘don’t do what I did’ advice from Souness at some stage in recent weeks. Even if a vacancy does open up at Anfield, the Ibrox manager will surely view a Champions League campaign, with Rangers starting two ties from the group stage, as enough reason to stay put and extend his unlikely current status as longest-serving manager in the Scottish top flight.

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