Alfredo Morelos is undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most important player for Rangers at the moment. Signed last year, the Colombian found his scoring prowess in his first season itself, but under Gerrard, the Colombian has undoubtedly stepped up a gear. The manager has also often said that he is the best player at the club.
Even though there were some strong interests in the summer, Morelos decided to stay with Rangers. The 22-year-old is a volatile character on the pitch, but Gerrard has seemingly got the best out of him by always backing him in public. The Colombian has certainly repaid that faith by putting in a sizeable shift in every game.
Morelos’ linkup play is one of the features which has stood out under Gerrard, which wasn’t that evident last year. Along with that, the former Liverpool captain has also managed to control the player’s temperament. Gerrard, his personality and his experience of being the captain of players like Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, Jonjo Shelvey etc. has certainly helped him in his management of Morelos.
The striker was recently booked in the cup encounter against Ayr for showing dissent, and that means would miss the semi-final against Aberdeen. But Gerrard came out in support of the forward and claimed that the referee got the decision wrong and that he understood the Morelos’ dissent. Along with that, the former Liverpool captain said he(Morelos) was the reason why the team got to the semifinals.
It’s clear the Morelos is getting some special treatment from the gaffer, and it seems to be working. Gerrard knows that the Colombian is too talented a player for his side and has handled him with near perfection. Though keeping his emotions in check would surely help the Morelos improve as a player.
Morelos has also talked about the impact of playing under Gerrard. He said,’’ Steven Gerrard has been a brilliant manager for me. Everyone knows what a fantastic player he was for Liverpool and England and he won a lot of honours. I’m learning a lot from him and he’s been a great teacher for me. Mentally, I am in a very good place. I feel I am playing well, scoring goals and it’s a good time to be called up.”
The 22-year-old travelled with the team to Spain for the clash against Villarreal, even as he was suspended for that encounter and had the option to stay in Scotland and train. However, the Colombian decided to travel with his side and that shows his commitment towards the club and his team-mates. It might be a small gesture but for all this Gerrard deserves a massive credit as the Colombian is thriving under his guidance.
Note: This article was written before Rangers suffered the 1-0 loss to Livingston.
