Steven Gerrard wants to tie up veteran Rangers trio Jermain Defoe, Steven Davis and Allan McGregor on new deals – because they’d be impossible to replace.
All three players’ deals, including Defoe’s loan from Bournemouth, expire at the end of the season.
But Gerrard is making moves to tie 37-year-olds Defoe and McGregor and Davis, 34, up for next season, despite their ages.
The Ibrox boss said: “I don’t look at age. I look on form.
“I look on what you offer, what your contribution is on a daily basis, what you are bringing to the team and what you potentially bring over how many years we are talking.
“When you’re dealing with players of this age, you’re never going to offer a two or three-year deal. But at the same time you don’t want to lose them as they’re so valuable to us.
“They are very much in the plan. They’re on top form and we want them around longer.
“They’re massive. Can you imagine how difficult my job would be if those three were leaving in the summer or knocked on my door and said they don’t want to play any more?
“How do you go and find a world-class goalie who is going to make big saves in Europe and big saves domestically with the budgets available?
“How do you find a No.9 who can score at any time?
“And how do you find someone who has Steven Davis’s experience, who can run games and is a model professional?”
Gerrard has already rewarded the likes of Ryan Jack, Nikola Katic and Alfredo Morelos with longer-term deals.
But he insisted: “I don’t want any crazy Alan Hansen quotes coming out here, but balance is important. It’s vital that you’ve got energy and youth and people that get the best out of the older guys in the dressing room. And vice versa.
“These young guys need guidance, to see people across the board that set 100 per cent standards every day.
“At the moment I think we have the balance right in terms of age.”
