Rangers crushed Aberdeen 4-0 to put the seal on their unbeaten Scottish Premiership title-winning campaign yesterday. Steven Gerrard’s side had already been confirmed as champions several weeks ago, but were determined to finish the season without a league defeat.
Aberdeen never threatened to spoil the party as Kemar Roofe scored twice for Rangers after Joe Lewis’s early own goal. Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe completed the demolition in the final moments.
Having ended Celtic’s bid for a 10th successive Scottish title, Rangers finished with 102 points after going unbeaten through the entire 38-game campaign. Rangers’ 19th win from 19 league games at Ibrox this season saw them finish 25 points clear of second placed Celtic.
“It was about having a vision, getting the right people in the right places, the right support from the board and fighting for it,” Gerrard said. “I’m so proud of the boys and all the staff. We’ve fought every day for the last three years to get to this point.”
Thousands of Rangers fans set off blue and red flares and waved flags as they gathered outside the empty stadium to celebrate. Rangers captain James Tavernier lifted the Scottish Premiership trophy after the final whistle in a presentation ceremony on the pitch.
It was met by a barrage of fireworks as the Rangers faithful lit Glasgow up in red, white and blue, with many climbing on the stadium gates and dancing together in the streets as social distancing rules went out of the window.
Rangers chiefs joined police in urging fans to disperse, with Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf adding: “This is ultimately about personal responsibility. “If you have gathered you should disperse, particularly given yesterday’s announcement about Covid in Glasgow.”
The triumph was a sweet moment for former Liverpool and England star Gerrard, who has earned his stripes in Glasgow in his first managerial role. Gerrard’s success has caught the eye of many in the football world.
Former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, who featured for Rangers in his playing days, recently saluted the way Gerrard has coped with the intense pressure of managing the Old Firm giants. “Oh, he’s done magnificent. He really has, both on and off the field. A press interview can lose you your job in management. But Steven’s press conferences are fantastic,” Ferguson told The Guardian. “He’s cool, he’s composed, he gives the right answers. He’s really top because it’s an art.”
Gerrard responded by revealing he has sought advice from Ferguson. “I’ll let you into a little secret: I’ve had a couple of conversations with him,” Gerrard said. “Since I retired we have parked our rivalry up and he gave me time on the phone to bounce a few things off him, a few questions to do with the management up here at Rangers. He was fantastic in those conversations.”
Ferguson, who made his name as Aberdeen boss before enjoying decades of unparalleled success at Old Trafford, couldn’t have done much better than Gerrard this season. Rangers equalled Celtic’s clean-sheet record of 26 for a 38-game season, set in 1913-14.