To reach the glory, you have to start from the very bottom; oh, and you need Stevie Ge

Have you ever fallen, sensed the closeness of the bottom? If so, then your path to success is not as far as it might look. From there, you can only go up. All you need is to do things much differently than before and to have someone beside you who'll know how to utilise your virtues to reach the heights you've only dreamt about a few years ago.

For Glasgow Rangers, it's damn obvious now - the name of their henchman, saviour, true friend, guru, or prophet if you prefer is widely known in the world of football. And if anyone knows how much it could cost you a single fall on the ground, that's he.

Steven Gerrard was always one step ahead of the opponents when receiving the ball. It was the same that afternoon at Anfield in 2014 when the Reds were determined to destroy Chelsea in their title chase. The first English championship crown for them after 24 years was just a few steps away. At least before Stevie Ge had fallen to the ground and left the ball to Demba Ba. Chelsea's forward finished it easily and crushed the hopes of the Scousers' celebration into pieces. Gerrard might have never forgiven himself for that.

Simultaneously, a few hundred miles on the north, once-giants from Glasgow suffered one of the worst moments in its almost 150-years-long history. They succumbed to a financial collapse and were tore down to the fourth-tier of the Scottish football hierarchy. Even the slow recovery that followed led to some unprecedented upsets as if it was not enough. When they finally reached the Scottish Premier League and clinched a spot in the Europa League qualifications, they hit the wall so hard it was painful to watch. Rangers were eliminated from the 2017–18 Europa League's first qualifying round thanks to an unknown Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn. Check this out - Progres had never before won a tie and had only ever scored once before in European competition. On the other hand, the Scottish outfit had won an impressive 54 home titles until then; and one European Cup just to add to the list.

Gerrard established a wonderful bond with his players (©AFP)

So who had they turned to at that moment? Yes, you've got it by now, the inexperienced coaching amateur of a larger-than-life playing career. Steven Gerrard was appointed as a new Rangers coach in May 2018. Four years after his infamous slip at Anfield - that extended Liverpool's title drought for six long years - he was at the beginning of the new mission. And, trust us, there are only a few places in the world - if any - that are more difficult to comprehend then the city of Glasgow with two of its giants. The other one, Celtic FC, are the Rangers' long-standing rival and have thoroughly enjoyed all the years their 'enemies' spent in the lower leagues. Celtic have won nine consecutive titles since 2011 and were on the verge of an unbelievable streak. They even came close to the Gers in the European all-time home title holders with 51 on their account compared to 54 Rangers'.

Rangers fans celebrating the title (©AFP)

But fast forward to the present day and we see Celtic's plans trashed like never before. The Glasgow Blues have won their 55th Scottish Premier League title, which caused a series of Covid19 restrictions violations. The exalted fans couldn't be prevented from celebrating the long-awaited glory! The fans even brought the cut-outs of Stevie Ge, making him a cult hero just as he was and still is in his hometown of Liverpool.

Not even Covid19 restrictions can stop Rangers fans from celebrating!

It looks simple, right? Well, yes, when you reach the heights. Ask Gerrard how it was when he was down that day at Anfield. At least, it surely helped him to understand Rangers' trauma and take them back where they belong.

By: BOJAN BABIĆ