STEVIE THANKS GERS BOARD FOR FAITH

Rangers manager says he ‘ couldn’t ask for more’ help with overhaul

STEVEN GERRARD has thanked the Ibrox board for their support and financial backing during his Rangers revolution this summer.

Gerrard completed his 11th deal of the transfer window this week as Croatian defender Borna Barisic clinched a £ 1.5million move from Osijek.

He remains in the market for fur ther additions before the close of business as he targets another defender and a s t r i k e r , w i t h Bournemouth’s Jack Simpson and former Gers forward Kyle Lafferty both on his radar.

Gerrard has also made changes off the park at Ibrox and the Hummel Training Centre and he is grateful for the backing he has received from chairman Dave King and his directors.

Gerrard said: “They have been absolutely brilliant. Changing a lot of personnel i n t h e s q u a d , they have b e e n v e r y

supportive. We have made some changes at the training ground, we are about to make some changes at Ibrox and they are buying into what we are trying to do and have been supportive in every department.

“I have had total support, I couldn’t have asked for anything more really.

“I think it is very important, all around the club, that we are all one, that we are all together and that we all believe in what we are trying to do. We all stick together.

“It is going to be a rollercoaster. At the moment it is going well and I am experienced enough to know there will be some turbulent times as well.

“If we have got the support and are all together from the board down everything will be fine.”

The arrival of Gerrard this summer rejuvenated the Ibrox crowd and there have been early signs of promise as Rangers have started the campaign in impressive fashion.

And the Liverpool and England legend is pleased with the impact he, his staff and his players have been able to make in a short space of time this term.

Gerrard said: “The key for me was to bring everyone together and change the mentality.

“The staff, it doesn’t matter what department you are in, the firstteam players are always the priority and everyone has to do everything they can to support that to ensure that they have got no excuses when they go on the park.

“We can’t have anyone around the place that is negative or is not doing their job properly to support the first team. We can’t have it. Everyone needs to pull in the same direction for the first team.

“I think it just needed a bit of connection and a few tweaks in certain areas.”