NafisaGreg Stewart feels Steven Gerrard was failed by a lack of financial support after restoring Rangers to the summit of Scottish football.
Four years later, Stewart hopes his former manager is firmly in contention to return to Ibrox—and could be drawn back by investment from new ownership.
Gerrard’s suitability for the managerial post in Govan has been endorsed by former chairman Dave King.
He sees Gerrard as the ‘obvious’ candidate to come back and a stronger option compared to Davide Ancelotti and Russell Martin.
The Liverpool great already has proven success in Scotland, having guided Rangers to a remarkable Premiership title win.
Stewart was a member of the Invincibles team that Gerrard led to glory during the 2020/21 campaign.
But just six months after lifting the trophy, Gerrard departed for Aston Villa.
Stewart fully understood Gerrard’s decision to take that chance, especially given the lack of resources provided to build upon the progress he had made at Rangers.
He also believes fans would welcome Gerrard’s return with open arms, especially with the 49ers Enterprises injecting fresh funds to help a new manager close the gap on Celtic.
Having watched Gerrard’s impact up close, Stewart is confident he’s the right man to bring success back to Ibrox as they once again trail their fierce rivals.
Stewart said: “He took Aston Villa because Rangers didn’t back him when maybe he’d been told he was to get funds for the Champions League.
“They were put out by Malmo. I was surprised that backing didn’t come. He said you still need to fix the roof while the sun is shining.
“He always wanted to improve, bring freshness in, add even more quality. Rangers really should’ve kicked on.
“But it didn’t quite work like that. It’s basically back to when he first took over – well behind Celtic who’ve gone on to win four-in-a-row.
“The squad is a bit better; good players are there but consistency isn’t. With new owners, he might get quite a bit to spend. That’s no guarantee of success, of course.
“But I know how he operates and what he and his staff put into it. I can’t really see it not being a success. If he’s willing to come back, it’s a no-brainer.”
Former Kilmarnock midfielder Stewart has played for three clubs in India since leaving Rangers.
He still keeps a close eye on events at Ibrox and has noticed speculation linking ex-teammate Steven Davis with a role on Gerrard’s coaching team.
Michael Beale, who had a difficult 11-month stint as Rangers manager, was previously hailed as a top training ground tactician under Gerrard.
Davis, on the other hand, has acknowledged that returning to Rangers in a coaching role is a very realistic part of his future.
Stewart added: “I don’t know if Michael coaching again is an option. I guess that would be a strange one, with Michael having been manager as well.
“But I can say that Michael and Steven were massive for each other. Michael took a lot of the training, even though Steven would always look over and have his opinion when he had to speak.
“He was that manager with real presence. He walks into a room; you stand to attention.
“It’s easy to pick Steven Davis too because he’s a massive Rangers man, someone on the staff who loves the club and knows what it’s all about.
“I get they’re in a situation where they can’t take too much of a risk. I know how Gerrard works and Rangers have problems he could fix.”
Stewart once worried that Gerrard might walk away during his initial tenure.
He looked heartbroken following Rangers’ Scottish Cup loss to Hearts in February 2020. But just over a year later, Rangers were crowned champions.
Stewart remembered: “I always remember that game. I played up front, it was a horrible game, we didn’t play great.
“We sat in the changing room and couldn’t believe we were out the cup again.
“There was a feeling after that, he might’ve walked. But everyone came back in such good shape after the summer, I just had a feeling we were going to do it.
“There was such a togetherness right from the off. It proved one of the best seasons in the club’s history – absolutely smashed everyone and unbeaten in 38 games.”
Nafisa
