Stevie was always a real standard bearer

Steve Clarke witnessed Steven Gerrard’s leadership qualities at close quarters during his time in the Anfield dressing-room.

It’s no surprise to the Kilmarnock boss the Liverpool legend is already making his mark as Rangers gaffer, because he always had the highest of standards.

Clarke was No.2 to Kenny Dalglish when he was in charge of the Reds for a second time seven years ago.

Gerrard was the club’s skipper during that spell and they won a League Cup together in 2012. Clarke insists the qualities Gerrard had as a player and as a person were always going to make him officer material.

The pair will face off in the Betfred Cup at Rugby Park today and Clarke said: “First of all, I found Steven a good person, a good character in the dressing-room and a leader. At that time you have no idea if he will go into coaching.

“I’ve spoken to him since then and he’s certainly started all right at Rangers, hasn’t he?

“Anybody who wants to go into management needs to have the high standards he has.

“If you don’t have that good professionalism, there’s not point trying to become a manager.

“You’ll soon get found out and if you get found out you won’t get many jobs.”

Clarke (right) believes Gerrard’s bank balance will allow him to be his own man at Rangers. He said: “The financial aspect of football has changed since I got into coaching.

“It allows this generation of managers, who’ve just stopped their playing career, to go into it with a little less pressure.

“They do not need to bow down to the board and they can be forthright in what they want because they have financial security behind them.

“You don’t have to take any nonsense from people above you and you can walk away.”