Kris Boyd believes Steven Gerrard has to find a carbon copy of Barry Ferguson inside his own dressing room if Rangers are to rekindle a title fight.
The Ibrox scoring legend played alongside former captain Fergie and insists Gerrard needs someone in the mould of the midfielder to drag performances out of the team.
Boyd said: “When you’re under pressure to perform every week it can be difficult. But that’s why you need your top players and your characters to stand up and be counted.
“You think everything is against you – it’s not – when you’re that desperate to win every game and- get that first trophy. You can feel it from the crowd.
“You need the big characters. In my time Barry Ferguson was the best at it. It didn’t matter if he was being booed or hounded he would still go and take the ball.
“Steven Gerrard was exactly the same at Liverpool. There were plenty of times when he was up against it but I never saw him shying away from the responsibility.
“It’s never going to be plain sailing all the time at a big club. You need players to stand up and be counted.
“Ryan Jack or Steven Davis have the potential. Barry was a driving force and a real influence in the dressing room. Steven’s a totally different character.
“I don’t know Ryan Jack that well. But you need players to get on the ball and not be frightened to make mistakes.”
