When Steven Gerrard left Rangers to take over at Aston Villa back in November, he did so knowing he risked jeopardising his relationship with the club’s fans.
The Liverpool legend’s Ibrox exit came just a few months after he had guided the Gers to a first title in 10 years last season, having taken over at Ibrox in his first managerial role in 2018.
The former England international’s swift Ibrox exit understandably hurt Rangers fans, with the club bringing in former player Giovanni van Bronckhorst as their new manager.
But despite the ill-feeling regarding Gerrard’s exit within the Rangers fanbase, club legend Derek Johnstone hopes he does get the opportunity to manage his former side one day.
The former Scotland international, who scored 210 goals from 546 appearances across two spells at Ibrox and won three league titles, 10 domestic cups and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with Rangers, backed the former Reds captain to be a success with Aston Villa.
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However, he did warn Liverpool that despite his managerial career to date, Gerrard is not guaranteed to be a success at Anfield if they ever did bring him back to the club as manager.
“One of these days, yes. I think he will definitely one day be Liverpool manager,” he exclusively told the Liverpool ECHO at a VIP event celebrating 60 years of the Football Pools panel. “Why not? The fans would love that. The Liverpool fans loved him as a player.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a great manager but he knows the club. He knows everything about them and he knows what the fans want.
“I hope so (that he manages Liverpool one day). I got on really well with him, and Gary McAllister, and Michael Beale. I thought they were great for Glasgow.
“I think they loved being up there, they loved the fans and they loved winning the league. That’s why he was there and when he won it, that’s really why he’s gone now.
“Leaving Rangers hurt a lot of fans to be perfectly honest because it happened so quickly. It was in the papers and then a week later he was gone. Normally these things go on for weeks and weeks but that hadn’t.
“We knew he was leaving after four years anyway, that was on his contract. Good luck to him, he’s gone to be nearer to his family as well of course, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the perfect man for us.”
He continued: “I think he started off really well at Aston Villa and Aston Villa have been playing some stuff. I think the players got a lift, just by having somebody like Steven Gerrard in their midst. That’s what the Rangers players did.
“He came in and had players who he respected and the players respected him. That was the reason why they’ve come to Rangers and to Aston Villa.
“I think he’ll get it right. He’ll have a bit more money to spend. People talk about them falling into a relegation battle. I don’t see that at all. They’re good enough to stay up.
“I think the Aston Villa fans will love him because whatever club he’s at, he gives his all. And so does his backroom staff. Aston Villa can be guaranteed there will be a lot of effort put into it.”
While Liverpool fans might not pay as close attention to Rangers results now Gerrard is no longer there, there does remain a connection at Ibrox in the form of Ryan Kent.
The winger left Anfield permanently when he joined the ‘Gers for an initial £6.5m deal in September 2019, following a successful season on loan at Ibrox.
Impressing both domestically and in Europe ever since moving north of the border, Liverpool bosses will have one eye on Kent’s fortunes after the Reds negotiated a 20% sell-on profit clause when selling him to Rangers.
And while it remains to be seen if Kent will follow Gerrard out of the Rangers exit door in the summer, Johnstone hailed the former Liverpool man’s recent performances as “world class”.
“In the last few games he’s been absolutely world class,” he said. “I haven’t said that for a long time.
“He’s one of these players where it depends what mood he’s in, whether he plays well or not.
“But all of a sudden he’s got the bit between his teeth and he’s looked as though he’s unplayable at times.
“I’m watching him against Dortmund taking on three and four men and beating them convincingly. That’s never happened before, especially not to German players who are solid.
“He’s playing out of his skin at the moment, hopefully it continues!”
Derek Johnstone was speaking exclusively to the Liverpool ECHO after being unveiled as a member of the new-look Football Pools panel team alongside Reds legends Ian Callaghan, Michael Owen and former Everton Women goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.
