Gerrard believes ability to bounce back helped him fulfil title mission

No one need remind Steven Gerrard about 'the slip'. The mental wound opened as his studs swiped at fresh air on that memorable day against Chelsea back in 2014 is unlikely to ever heal, the former Liverpool captain has previously admitted.

It might have been easy to conclude that day as he drove away from Anfield, tears streaming down his face amid the realisation that his hopes of leading his boyhood club to Premier League glory were over, that the lows of football were too painful, too scarring to put up with.

Was the momentary, passing joy of lifting a trophy worth it for the nagging torture when those what-if moments linger stubbornly in the memory?

Thankfully for the Rangers faithful, Gerrard decided it was.

There have been further moments, like last year's Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts which left the Ibrox club staring at a second barren season under Gerrard's watch, when he considered chucking it all in.

But then comes the 'bouncebackability' the 40-year-old mentioned when talking to fans last week during a mental health initiative, arranged by Rangers' shirt sponsors 32Red. The capacity to shake off strain and return stronger for the experience.

It is that faculty Gerrard has relied upon during the most testing of campaigns to lead the fallen Ibrox giants back to the top of Scottish football, claiming Rangers' 55th title.

"Being a player it's not always fantastic or enjoyable," said Gerrard. "The journey takes you to some really high places in terms of winning stuff but it also takes you to some cruel lows.

"What I will say is I'm quite mentally strong in terms of bouncing back. I've accepted that being a player or manager is a journey of highs and lows.

"You have to deal with the bad days as well as the good and have that bouncebackability to use setbacks in your life to make you stronger.

"But there's no doubt about it, I've had some low days during my career.”

Gerrard was quick to point out during his talk with a group of 25 supporters - brought together by the Rangers Charity Foundation and 32Red - that his experiences pale in comparison to some of the, quite literally, life-or-death battles with mental health some of them have endured and survived.

But modern day sport and coaching is now as much about tactics and talent as it is about nurturing emotions - a lesson he has learned more about with every passing day since his appointment, three years ago on Tuesday.

The debate on how football deals with mental health has been thrown back into sharp focus once again after Albion Rovers player David Cox announced last week he was quitting the game following an alleged taunt from Stenhousemuir's Jonathan Tiffoney.

Gerrard has made public shows of support for his players, whether it be cuddling a sobbing Ryan Jack after losing last year's Betfred Cup final or backing Glen Kamara to the hilt over the racial abuse he was subjected to by Slavia Prague's Ondrej Kudela.

And that support is just as strong behind closed doors.

"Growing up at Liverpool and now being here at Rangers, football is a big part of my life," he explained. "But as a manager, you have to deal with things that are above football.

"These are things which fans and people on the outside don't see. It's my job to make sure that I'm as big a support as I can be.”