Liverpool legend and current Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has taken a swipe at his beloved Reds’ rivals Manchester United while comparing Liverpool’s rivalry with the Red Devils to the Old Firm derby.
Celtic host the Gers in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday as they battle it out in one of the more closely contested title races in recent years. Rangers will be hoping to close the gap on table-toppers The Hoops to two points with a game in hand as they travel to Celtic Park.
The last meeting between the pair was just under three weeks ago with Celtic defeating Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish League Cup final.
Gerrard’s men meanwhile would be travelling to Celtic Park in a sense of revenge after also losing their home leg league tie to the Hoops back in September.
And when asked to compare the Glasgow derby with that between North West derby, Gerrard opined that the two sides in England are only really rivals because they have been the two most successful clubs in English football in recent years – something the former midfielder loved to point out was no longer necessarily the case.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Gerrard said: “There are many similarities but it’s not necessarily a derby match as it’s Liverpool vs Manchester.
“The rivalry comes from being the two most successful teams in England so that’s a similarity to the Old Firm.
“I think the Liverpool vs Everton derby match is more similar in terms of the bitterness, the hatred and the bragging rights in the local community.
“Manchester’s 40 minutes to an hour away and obviously Manchester United are not at the top of the table anymore so that’s another difference for you.”
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash against Celtic, Gerrard insists he has complete trust that his team can end the host’s incredible 11-match winning run in the league.
“We are going to Parkhead in good form and good shape. We know it will be a very tough match, they have a very strong home record.
“But we played Celtic a few weeks ago and put a good show on, gave a good account of ourselves. I expect us to go there with confidence and belief we can get a result.
“We have a game in hand, so I’m not really too concerned about gaps. I’m concerned with my team winning football matches.”
