‘Umar is the only one who sort it out’

everything as a staff to help him. But you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work it out. He hasn’t had much game-time. He’s frustrated by that.

“But as a player, when that’s not happening, the only player who can sort it out is yourself.

“The one person who can sort it out is Umar. He needs to push himself in every single department. He needs to realise he is at a big club.

“Competition for places is big in every single position. He needs to do the maths. If he adds them up, he hasn’t played many minutes.

“If he wants more minutes and more game-time, he has got to push. He’s got to show me he is the best in training, the best no.9. That’s not happening right now.”

Sadiq is one of 15 players that Gerrard brought to Ibrox during the close season but he has failed to make any kind of impact against Maribor, St Mirren and Kilmarnock.

Gerrard will be without both of his strikers for the Betfred Cup semi-final against Aberdeen but insists Sadiq has to improve all round if he is to earn a jersey.

He said: “There’s a possible opportunity there. But just because he is a No.9 it doesn’t give him a given right to take that void. Not at all. Because there other options.

“We’ve got other players who can do the job. We’ll have other plans where we can maybe do the job without one. There are solutions there.

“I am manager who picks on what I see out there and in games. He has a chance every single day.

“A lot of players in this situation will blame other people. But I have been around the game a long time. The only person who can sort form out is yourself.”