Andy Gray made a name for himself as a top class striker at Aston Villa.
So he can fully understand why Steven Gerrard now intends on doing the same as a manager.
And the Rangers diehard has called on fellow supporters not to allow their own disappointment to tarnish the memories of Gerrard’s three and half year stint in charge of the Ibrox club.
If truth be told, Gray had been braced for news since the weekend. So by the time Gerrard was officially announced at Villa Park on Thursday morning, the TV veteran was already resigned to losing the Liverpool legend to the Premier League.
But while Gray could see it coming from a mile off, he fears some Rangers fans may struggle to forgive Gerrard for leaving them in the lurch.
Speaking exclusively to Record Sport Gray said: “By Wednesday night I must admit I was already fearing the worst. The fact that no-one was saying anything was the give away. I was hoping for the best but my gut was telling me that the decision had already been made.
“Steven and his representatives had plenty of time to come out and rubbish it, if he had no interest in going.
“So the silence told me a lot. But what Steven and Gary McAllister and the others have done over the last three and a bit years has been nothing short of fantastic and should never be forgotten.
“I’m horrified to hear that people have been abusing Stevie on social media. They shouldn’t be because he’s been every bit as good for our club as we have been for him. It was a marriage made in heaven. We needed him, he needed us and it worked brilliantly.
“Of course we’ll all disappointed that it’s over but we also have to understand things from his point of view.
“I hope the animosity doesn’t last the way it did at Celtic after Brendan Rodgers left and I don’t think it will.
“Do I have any animosity towards Steven? Absolutely not. Not an ounce.
“Did I want him to go? No I didn’t. But do I understand why he has arrived at this decision? Yes I do.
“At the end of the day Steven had to look himself in the mirror and ask, ‘What do I need to do with the next part of my life? Here’s an opportunity that I have to take,’.
“We should be really disappointed but we shouldn’t argue. I hope that Steven doesn’t get the same abuse as Brendan got. I would hope that Rangers fans will accept it and never forget what he did for our club.”
And the mirror images of Rodgers’ sudden departure for Leicester do not end there.
Gray continued: “I’m disappointed because I’m a Rangers fan and the last thing I wanted was for Steven Gerrard to leave for Aston Villa - and I say that as someone who played for Villa. So it’s a massive void and one I think we’re going to have a huge problem filling.
“I am concerned that this leaves Rangers in a very similar situation to the one Celtic found themselves in when Brendan left for Leicester.
“That’s my major worry. How do we fill a void like this?”
Gray is back in Scotland right now catching up with family before attending a memorial for the late great Walter Smith a week today.
And, as someone now working abroad, he understands the emotional pull Gerrard will have felt when presented with an opportunity to be closer to his own.
Gray said: “Steven grew up in the English Premier League. His family still lives in England and we always knew he’d end up going back there one day to fulfil his ambitions.
“Could he have won the Champions League at Rangers? I don’t think so. I’d like to be wrong but it’s a big ask.
“So you have to see it through his eyes. What does Steven Gerrard see for himself?
“Obviously, there’s a strong link between Steven and Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has been there six, seven years now and may call it a day at some point in the next two or three years.
“I’m sure Liverpool fans will see Steven as a natural replacement. Clearly he thinks it’s time to go back down the road and get experience managing in the Premier League.
“Did I want to see that happen? No I didn’t. Did I think he was already managing at a giant club? Yes I did.
“But I also know Aston Villa and I know they can afford the kind of funds that Rangers couldn’t.
“They have two of the richest owners in football and they believe he can make them a top four side. These guys are multi-billionaires and they are ambitious. That’s why Dean Smith went in the first place because they won’t accept where they are right now.
“Obviously, they have noticed what Steven has achieved with us over these past few years. They will appreciate the enormous pressure he was under and yet he managed to deliver. He saw us over the line for 55 with an invincible season which was a remarkable achievement.
“They have been smart enough to realise his potential and given him the chance to test himself at a higher level. I’m not going to tell lies. Is the Premier League a higher level than the Scottish top flight? Of course it is.
“And he might learn more about himself and the art of coaching at that level.
“I don’t think he would have left for just any Premier League club. Villa have a fantastic stadium, an amazing training ground, are right in the middle of England, with a great fan base, money to spend and ambitious owners.
“He wouldn’t have left Rangers if he didn’t believe he was joining a club that couldn’t fulfil what he wants to achieve as a coach.
“I didn’t want him to leave but I thank him for everything he’s done at Ibrox. It’s been sensational for him, for us fans, for the players and it’s a really sad day for everyone connected with Rangers Football Club.
“On the back of Walter passing this is another, albeit very different kind of blow for the fans to take.”
