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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Alfredo Morelos hails Steven Gerrard after close Rangers bond

Alfredo Morelos has revealed how Steven Gerrard finally tamed him at Rangers.

And he credits the former Ibrox boss as the biggest influence in his career.

The Colombian forward collected eight red cards during his time at Rangers and at one stage - following a fifth sending off in one season following a defeat at Celtic in 2019 - Gerrard said he couldn't defend Morelos anymore.

And Morelos - now back in his homeland with Nacional - revealed how a chat with the Liverpool legend finally saw the penny drop for him, in a podcast in South America.

He said: "Steven Gerrard loved me so much. He was my biggest influence.

"You could see when I was on the pitch at Rangers, I was always in a state of aggression.

"In Scotland, I was a striker who was shown a lot of red cards and yellow cards.

"But Steven Gerrard helped me grow as a footballer and a person and he taught me many things.

"In the first few seasons at Rangers, I had a lot of disciplinary problems.

"Not only did Gerrard defend me, but he channelled my intensity in a positive way.


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"He had his own way of correcting me and making me see the importance of my image within football.

“When I did something wrong, he would call me, take out a translator and put me in front of the television. "He would say to me, 'Alfredo, look what all the media are saying about you.'

"Then when I started scoring a lot of goals in the Europa League, he would say,  'Look at the difference now and it's because of the good things you are now doing in your career.'

"All of this made me reflect and control my emotions better on the pitch. I have improved that side of my game.

"But I will not change my temperament on the pitch completely, because that is what characterises me as a player."

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