Rangers will defend league title 'with our lives', says Steven Gerrard
The Ibrox boss is challenging his squad to do everything to retain their Premiership trophy
Last updated 28th Jun 2021
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says they will defend the Premiership title with their lives as he looks ahead to the new season.
The Ibrox side won their first league trophy in a decade after storming to success last campaign.
They finished the season with a 25 point gap over Celtic and ended their hopes of winning 10 in a row.
Gerrard says he's feeling good about the year ahead and is challenging his players to recreate their success.
He told Rangers' official souvenir magazine: "I feel really optimistic and excited about the future at Rangers".
"I want us to defend this championship with our lives and also attack 2021/22 with everything we have got, with hopefully all our fans back at Ibrox and at away games if the coronavirus restrictions allow for that.
"But for me, that is what being at this club is all about - it is about success, trophies and keeping that hunger and consistency moving forward.
"That hunger is either in you or it is not and I think the day when I don't feel it is in me is the day I won't get involved in football or I'll call it a day.
"It goes without saying that we have missed our supporters massively and, while we want to build on our recent league success for them, we also want to improve and go further in the domestic cup competitions while striving to be better in Europe.
"So there is much to play for next season and with new faces in our squad there is no reason why we can't go into it with great optimism, excitement and belief."
Rangers kick off their Premiership campaign at home to Livingston on July 31 when they'll unfurl the league flag.
"The pressure was on us to bring the title back to Ibrox for so many reasons," he said.
"Aside from the fact that our city rivals were aiming for a record number of successive titles, it had been a decade since Rangers were Scottish champions, which was far too long.
"As with every season, what was so important for us in 2020/21 was that we always looked ahead to the next game, never beyond that.
"At this club the demands and expectations are that you need to win week in week out, so not for one second can you take your eye off the ball.
"Over the past 12 months I think we, as a group, coped with the pressure very well and the players rose to the challenges put in front of them.
"When we beat St Mirren at Ibrox on March 6, a result which put us so close to getting over the line to become champions for the 55th time, every player and member of staff rightly enjoyed it and got lost in the moment - I did as well.
"The scenes at the stadium with the supporters will go to the grave with me, as will the celebrations at the training ground the next day when Celtic could only draw at Tannadice and we were officially crowned as champions.
"To finish the campaign with a 4-0 win over Aberdeen at home before we got our hands on the trophy was the icing on the cake and it was one of the best and proudest days of my football career."