CHAMPIONS 2017-18
Stevie wants Gers cash guarantees
FROM BACK PAGE receives guarantees he will have a spending budget that gives him a chance of denting Celtic’s dominance.
The Liverpool and England icon’s close friend and former Anfield teammate Danny Murphy spoke to Gerrard at the weekend and revealed he remains interested in taking over at Ibrox.
But Gerrard, who will be in Rome tomorrow to watch Liverpool in the Champions League, is refusing to jump at the offer from the Light Blues and is determined to carry out his own due diligence before committing to replacing Graeme Murty.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Murphy said: “The truth is there is nothing definitive, in that he has had talks and they were positive, and I think that’s good.
“I can’t say if he’s taking the job yet because I don’t know – he doesn’t know – what’s in the war chest.
“He’s got more talks this week and he is a really ambitious guy, always has been since he walked on to the training pitch as a young guy at Melwood.
“But he’s also bright and I don’t think he is going to put himself into a position where he is going to walk into a job with his hands tied, in terms of the resources he’s got to compete with Brendan Rodgers.”
The Celtic boss was Gerrard’s manager at Liverpool but the pair could become rivals in Glasgow if the 37-year-old does take the Ibrox job.
Murphy said: “It’s ironic that Brendan is the Celtic manager.
“I suppose as a club Rangers can’t be trying to get someone like Steven, who is young, hungry and ambitious, to go there and try and compete and sell him a dummy.
“You have to think there is some credibility on what they’re trying to do.
“He was excited but without the confirmation of what it actually entails. There is legs in it but there is a bit to go. He’s probably needing more reassurances.
“The only thing with that is I was thinking, ‘How do you get concrete assurances on something like that?” BY CRAIG SWAN SPECULATION linking Brendan Rodgers with Arsenal refuses to go away but the Hoops boss insists he already has the “best job in the world”.
With Arsene Wenger leaving the Emirates at the end of the season the 45-year-old is among those being tipped to take over as Gunners boss.
But as he basked in the glory of a second successive title win at Parkhead, the Northern Irishman hinted he will remain with the Hoops for the foreseeable future.
And he revealed the thrill he gets from developing homegrown talent like Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor and James Forrest tops splashing millions on the world’s best players.
When he was quizzed about his future plans on talkSPORT, Rodgers said: “Believe it or not the sky is blue here in Glasgow and I’m in the best job in the world. I’m absolutely loving it.
“Listen, I woke up here on a Monday morning as manager of Celtic. I’ve got a huge respect for Arsenal as a club. When I started my coaching career I learned so much watching Arsene, his dignity and his class and how he dealt with everything.
“I’ve always said it, I’m so happy here at Celtic. I’m in a job that I love. It’s a huge club. A big expectancy, big pressure.
“I would love to work in the Premier League again one day but I’m hopefully going to be coaching for another 20-odd years. So it’s no time soon.
“I have a great loyalty with the board here, they’ve been so supportive for me.
“From the first day I walked in here the supporters have given me everything and I feel a loyalty to them to ensure we keep moving the club forward and keep progressing.”
After going the whole campaign unbeaten last season, Rodgers is now on track for successive trebles, a feat that’s never been achieved in Scottish football.
On-loan Odsonne Edouard was the main man in Sunday’s 5-0 thumping of Rangers as Celtic wrapped up the Premiership title in style.
But Forrest, McGregor and Tom Rogic – players who were at the club before his arrival – were also on the scoresheet and have been key men throughout his reign.
And Rodgers admits he takes huge satisfaction from watching their progress.
The former Liverpool boss said: “Seeing that consistency pleases me. You look at James, his goal was sensational and his first against Rangers.
“It was great for him, Odsonne is a massive talent, Tom scores big goals in big games and Callum is just a wonderful footballer. He has that cleverness and has an eye for a goal.
“I say when I finish my coaching career, my enjoyment is seeing players develop.
“You’ll always be judged on what you win but it’s not what gives me the big satisfaction. It’s seeing players improve and get better.
“It’s tough here because you have a domestic level and then you have the very top end where you are competing in European football. That is always going to be difficult for Celtic, to make up that gap.
“But what we can do is take