Steven Gerrard: Rangers manager hails club unity during Covid absences

Steven Gerrard applauds Rangers supporters at Ross County on 22 August

Steven Gerrard is proud of the way Rangers responded to his Covid-enforced absence to come through key matches.

The Ibrox manager missed a draw away to Alashkert that booked progress to the Europa League group stage and the Premiership derby win over Celtic.

Now fully recovered, he is looking forward to being in the dugout for Saturday's trip to St Johnstone.

"It's not something I want to experience again but you have no choice but to cope," he said.

"I like to be hands on. I'm here for every session and I feel like I can be a bigger help from the sideline.

"I could still contribute in terms of preparation and picking the team but to do that remotely can be frustrating.

"For me, the most pleasing thing was how we all stuck together. It wasn't just me that was missing.

"[Coaches] Michael (Beale) and Gary (McAllister) stepped forward tremendously well and the players followed them. It showed our strength as a club, that we could deal with adversity.

"I'm looking at the positives of those two weeks rather than the negatives of being ill, in bed with symptoms, and feeling sorry for yourself."

Rangers are "close to full strength" with goalkeeper Allan McGregor and captain James Tavernier returning along with the manager, but Ianis Hagi tested positive for the virus on international duty with Romania and will miss the visit to Perth and Thursday's Europa League meeting with Lyon in Glasgow.

Faith in McCrorie and Patterson

Gerrard singled out Robby McCrorie for praise after the 23-year-old kept clean sheets against Alashkert and Celtic in the absence of McGregor and Jon McLaughlin.

While admitting McCrorie had been "thrown in at the deep end", he added that he had "no doubts over using him at any time".

"We've always had a plan for Robbie and we think he has the potential to be a Rangers number one," he explained.

Nathan Patterson stood in for Tavernier in Armenia, with Gerrard insisting the 19-year-old will "be the number one right-back here when the time is right".

"He's also ready now to compete for the jersey," he said. "He's pushing James in every way he can."

Ibrox board 'stay strong'

Gerrard then asserted that recent bids for the teenage full-back, linked with Everton, had been "way off" the club's valuation.

"Being selfish, you always want to keep your best players, but I understand the business side and I was well prepared for my phone going at any given moment," he said of the closing days of the transfer window

"If the right bid landed for a player and the board wanted to accept that, there wouldn't have been any resistance.

"This club has had some real healthy bids in the last two or three windows and, to be fair to the board, they have stayed strong in those situations."

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