Rangers' Steven Gerrard says Ross Wilson appointment as sporting director fills Mark Allen 'void'
"Mark [Allen] was a rock for me who I bounced off every single day so I have to give the club credit for acting quickly and finding a replacement," says Gerrard
Friday 18 October 2019 15:50, UK
Steven Gerrard has praised the speed at which Rangers appointed Ross Wilson as sporting director to fill the "void" left by the departure of Mark Allen.
Rangers appointed Southampton's former director of football operations on Monday to replace Allen, who left his position as director of football at Ibrox last month after two years in the post.
Gerrard, who won the Manager of the Month award for September earlier on Friday, said he had already held a few long in-depth conversations with Wilson and was excited by what the pair can achieve together.
"I am pleased that the club have acted quickly to replace Mark Allen because there was a void there. Mark did a fantastic job," Gerrard said.
"The weeks that he has been missing I have certainly felt a void. Mark was a rock for me who I bounced off every single day so I have to give the club credit for acting quickly and finding a replacement.
"I am really looking forward to working alongside Ross. He has done a fantastic job at Southampton.
"It has given me time to find out more about him, how he works and have some really detailed conversations so we can't wait to start the relationship. It is only around the corner so that is fantastic news for the club."
Rangers will target a fifth successive league victory when they travel to face Hearts on Sunday and Gerrard has called on his side to "embrace the pressure" as they aim to build on their two-point lead over Glasgow rivals and champions Celtic.
"It is always nice to sit top, of course it is. It is a reward for the players for how well they have played how consistent they have been and how well they recovered from the Old Firm defeat," the Rangers boss said.
"We certainly deserve to be there but we are under no illusions how tough it is going to be to stay there.
"I think that has got be the motivation to try and stay there as long as we can and keep performing at the level we have been. Really embrace the pressure, embrace being top and enjoy it. [To] work as hard as we can is the challenge."
Hearts were without a win from their opening five league matches before victory in the Edinburgh derby against Hibernian last month and, despite their difficult start to the campaign, Gerrard is expecting an "intimidating" atmosphere.
"I believe Hearts are in a false position if you look at the personnel they have got in the squad," said Gerrard of a side who held an eight-point lead at an early stage last season.
"If you roll the clock back 12 months they were sitting eight points clear at the top of the league so they have got the talent and the players and the management staff to move up the league.
"I think at times they have not got the results maybe their performances [have] deserved."
