Jermain Defoe has revealed Steven Gerrard allowed him an insight to management by once picking the Rangers team as his England pal told him 'this is what I have to deal with every weekend'.
The former Light Blues attacker admits he struggled with who to name in his squad due to the quality in the side. His decision would involve players being left out the matchday squad for the friendly with Real Madrid which would involve difficult conversations. It was a day to remember on the park as Rangers ran out 2-1 winners in the Ibrox friendly and it is one that sticks with the ex-EPL striker for a whole different reason.
Defoe experienced coaching at Ibrox before his departure to continue his playing career at Sunderland. But after a brief spell he hung up his boots for good and is keen to get into management. He's watched the likes of Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney take this step in their careers with different experiences for all involved. He knows what he could face in the future as he works his way up the ranks as he opened up on the helping hand at Rangers that gave him a glimpse into what is to come in the future.
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Speaking to the BBC ahead of his Radio 5 Live podcast, Jermain Defoe: Outside The Box, he said: “If a manager gets sacked, sometimes you have a guilty conscience, like ‘it's not his fault’. You see him putting in the work during the week, there’s a game-plan and the players are the ones who’ve got to go and execute it.
“If you don’t and then the manager gets sacked, I realise that’s a part of it.
“There was one occasion [at Rangers], I think it was against Real Madrid, pre-season. I wasn’t involved, so Stevie [Gerrard] told me to pick the team.
“I didn’t know who to put on the bench, because of the quality in the squad. Stevie said to me, ‘this is what I have to deal with every weekend!’.
“If you’re leaving players out, it’s a difficult conversation, but that’s the stuff you have to do. I wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to that stuff, but it’s part and parcel.”
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