Steven Gerrard breaks silence on Rangers job decision with ‘my heart was there’ statement

Steven Gerrard has spoken out on his decision to turn down a return to Rangers after the Ibrox club approached him to take over as manager earlier this month

Steven Gerrard has confessed that everything “had to be perfect” for him to return to Rangers, after rejecting a second managerial stint with the club. The Liverpool icon enjoyed a successful three-year spell with the Scottish giants from 2018, securing the league title at Ibrox in 2020/21 – though he departed soon afterwards.

Since then, he has taken on managerial positions with Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq, but has remained unemployed since leaving the Saudi side by mutual agreement in January. Yet following Russell Martin’s dismissal by Rangers earlier this month, Gerrard was touted for a comeback to Glasgow.

The timing simply wasn’t suitable for the 45-year-old, with Danny Rohl eventually being appointed as Rangers’ new boss. Now, Gerrard has explained his reasons for declining a dramatic return to the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking to TNT Sports on Saturday evening, he revealed: “In terms of Rangers, very close. I had some really positive and interesting talks with the owners. It felt a bit rushed to me because I had my family in Bahrain at the time.

“I had a lot to think about and a short space of time to give a decision. There was a few things that I was uncertain about. And if I’m going to take a challenge that big and that important, I’ve got that affection and that connection with Rangers.

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“For me to take that on again, it had to be perfect and I had to be 100 per cent ready. Unfortunately, I wasn’t due to the timing, so I stepped aside, and I wish them all the best. They’ve got a fantastic manager now. I’ll watch as a fan from afar and I wish them all the best, certainly tomorrow in the Old Firm game.”

When pressed on whether it concerned the club’s current structure or simply poor timing, Gerrard responded: “No, the timing wasn’t right from a family point of view.

“But of course, you have to do your due diligence in certain things and if things are not perfect, as well, I have to analyse is it right for me?”.

“The pressure and the responsibility is on your shoulders, it’s such a massive challenge and a massive club. My heart was there, and it always will be with Rangers, but I’ve also got to look at the football side of it.

“Is it right for me? Is the timing right? And are things perfect for me to be the best version of myself in that job? Unfortunately, the timing, that didn’t feel right to me.

“And listen, I’ve got that much respect for Rangers, the supporters and the owners, and everything connected to the club, I wouldn’t go in there if I was 80, 90 per cent ready. But hopefully one day, I’ll be more ready and more prepared for it and that chance might come again.

“If it doesn’t, I wish the club all the very best moving forward. But my heart was 100 per cent there because I’ve got that connection with the club.”

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