Scottish club Rangers named former Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard as their manager on a four-year deal.

The former England captain, who has coached Liverpool's Under-18s after hanging up his boots two years ago, replaces Graeme Murty for his first role in club management.

Gerrard said at his Ibrox press conference: "I'm very aware of Rangers, the size of the club, I've watched them from afar and been lucky enough to watch some of the Old Firm games.

"It was a no-brainer for me. There were a lot of different things to think about but from that first phone call I got a special feeling and I knew that Rangers were for me."

Asked about being a managerial novice, Gerrard said: "I can't do anything about having no experience. There is only one way to get experience - to believe you have the right characteristics to take on a challenge and confront it.

"In football if you're working under pressure, you're in a good place. I've missed that pressure of fighting for three points.

"I know there will be a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny but that's what I love about football."


Gerrard also announced that former Liverpool team-mate Gary McAllister will work alongside him at Gers.

"I can say who my number two is going to be. Well my assistant, I don't like to call him my number two as he's just as important as me and that will be Gary McAllister," Gerrard said.

"He's a long-time friend of mine. I played alongside Gary at Liverpool and stayed in touch since. I have huge respect for Gary and he ticks the box where maybe I'm not the most experienced manager sitting here right now but he's been in the game for a very long time and as a partnership I feel that will be very strong.

"He will be a rock and a very big support and as soon as I asked him it was a yes straight away." 

Reinvigorating Rangers will be a big challenge for Gerrard. The Glasgow club have won a record 54 Scottish league titles but are struggling to recover from the financial problems that saw them reformed in the bottom tier of Scottish football in 2012.

Rangers are third in the Scottish Premiership, 13 points behind their 'Old Firm' rivals Celtic, who beat them 5-0 at the weekend to claim their seventh straight league title.

Murty was sacked on Tuesday in the wake of that embarrassing loss.