King expects Gerrard to be ‘dominant’ in Scottish game

DAVE KING believes Steven Gerrard will become a “dominant” success story in Scottish football as he looks to lead Rangers into the Champions League next season.

Gerrard is celebrating his first silverware as a manager after clinching the Premiership title and ending Rangers’ decade-long wait for their 55th league flag.

The 40-year-old has had a transformative impact on and off the park at Ibrox following his appointment in the summer of 2018 and is now looking to guide his side into the Champions League for the first time.

Gerrard has rebuilt Rangers’ reputation on the continent with three impressive cracks at the Europa League so far and now former chairman King has backed him to build on his first taste of domestic success and take his side to the next level.

King said: “If I go back to my initial discussion with Steven, we were talking about the possibility of him coming to the club and trying to make sure that it matched both of our ambitions – his personally and the club’s.

“It was very, very clear first of all that he knew he needed time. We spoke about a minimum of four transfer windows to get the players. But also he understood that he was going to add to his experience.

“To me, it’s not accidental that Steven, to a certain extent, achieved more in Europe than he initially did in Scotland where he had to adjust and figure out some of the aspects of Scottish football. He already had that background in Europe. Where we are at the moment with Steven is that he has learned a lot about Scottish football. He is clearly a very quick learner. He is committed, he is a leader. I would be very surprised if Steven didn’t continue to kick on in Scottish football, become dominant in Scotland and use the additional expertise to improve the team in the Champions League. But, of course, the Champions League is different in the sense that you have to look at the financial resources. At least in the Europa League, you might be boxing against teams above your weight, but they are not the Barcelonas, Real Madrids and Man Uniteds.

“I think it will be very interesting for the club how Steven uses his experience to bridge the gap that money might give to some other clubs.”