Gerrard backs McInnes and plays down Rangers return talk
Steven Gerrard says he hopes Rangers thrive under Derek McInnes so much that they never need to call him back.
The former Rangers boss spoke warmly about the current Ibrox manager in comments reported on 4 October. His message was simple. "I have got nothing but respect for Derek McInnes."
Gerrard said he would love Rangers to be so successful under McInnes that a future approach for him becomes unnecessary, according to the BBC. The BBC credited the quotes to an interview with Open Goal via The Herald, which first carried Gerrard's words.
Asked directly about a possible return to Glasgow one day, Gerrard did not shut the door. He answered "who knows", as headlined by the Glasgow Times. The paper also reported his hope that McInnes succeeds to the point where Rangers do not need to ask him back.
For anyone new to this story, the link runs deep. Gerrard said earlier that he was "very close" to returning to Ibrox after Martin was sacked last October, before Rohl was appointed instead. That account was set out by the BBC in June. Talk of Gerrard or McInnes as options if Rohl left was also in the air that summer.
The return question has followed Gerrard for a year. Last autumn he emerged as the front-runner for the Ibrox job, with one report saying Rangers were close to total agreement on a second spell. He then pulled out of talks, saying the timing was not right, with later reporting pointing to doubts over the club's sporting structure, according to talkSPORT. Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist said he struggled to understand that call.
Gerrard has backed his successor in public before. In August he tipped McInnes to restore Rangers to former glories. On the pitch, McInnes delivered a big moment in September when Rangers beat their bitter rivals 3-0 to reach the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, with Dan Neil scoring twice, as reported by the Daily Record. A cup semi-final means a place in the last four, one win from the final.
What makes this stand out is the tone. No push for the job. No distance from the man in it. Just a former manager saying he wants the current one to do so well the conversation ends. For supporters, it offers a rare moment of unity in a season full of noise.
