When Steven Gerrard called time on his playing career at the end of 2016, many wondered what would come next for the Liverpool icon.

Within 18 months, they had their answer. In a bid to return to the top of Scottish football, Rangers offered the rookie coach the Ibrox hotseat.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast with host Jake Humphrey last year, Gerrard himself admitted that the opportunity arrived prematurely, but that he was convinced to take the role thanks to his gut instinct.

"For sure, Rangers come too soon, 'cause I'm two years into learning to be a coach. 

"All of a sudden, one day, the Rangers opportunity comes and you get a feeling in your stomach, and it takes you back to feelings you get as a player, and you think, I fancy a bit of this. This is a bit of me," he said.

Gerrard was not an instant success at Rangers. The Gers finished nine points adrift of Celtic in his first season in charge, and were 13 points behind their cross-city rivals when the 2019/20 campaign ended early due to the global crisis.

Despite struggling to close the gap at the top, Gerrard still believed in his philosophy. He drummed into his players that he was happy to take the blame as long as they continued to express themselves on the pitch, knowing that it would benefit the team in the long run.

During his appearance on the podcast, Gerrard explained the message he gave to his squad, saying: "We wanted to create a culture, where it was a no excuse culture.

"I'll take as much responsibility, and I'll take it all away from you. I want you to just go and play with freedom, express yourselves and give me the best version of you.

"And if we got that collectively around the group, or got the majority buying into that, there was no doubt that Rangers were going to improve."

Gerrard was right. This Sunday marked the culmination of three years of hard work, as Rangers secured their first top-flight title in a decade. It was a remarkable triumph, with the team wrapping up the league in the first week of March, comprehensively ending Celtic's chances of claiming a tenth straight championship. 

Rangers' victory also represents a tremendous turnaround, given that the team were demoted to the fourth tier of Scottish football in 2012.

Now with Gerrard at the helm, those days can be consigned to the past. It seems he was right to trust his gut instinct on this occasion.

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