Kemar Roofe has lifted the lid on his talks with the former Ibrox boss
16:28, 20 Nov 2025
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MAY 10: Steven Gerrard coach of Al Ettifaq prior the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq at King Abduallah Sport City on May 10, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
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(Image: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Former Rangers striker Kemar Roofe has revealed that Steven Gerrard reached out to him after being shown the door at Ibrox.
Before the appointment of Danny Rohl as Russell Martin's successor, the Liverpool icon was locked in talks with chairman Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises but walked away after several rounds of discussions.
The former England international – who ended Celtic 's stranglehold on the Scottish Premiership by bringing the title to Ibrox in 2021 – has since admitted nagging doubts forced him to step away from a stunning return to Glasgow.
Gerrard has been out of work since leaving Al-Ettifaq in the midst of a disappointing Saudi Pro League season last term.
Before the Ibrox knock back and during his time in Saudi, Roofe revealed that Gerrard reached out to him in the summer of 2024 after his time in Glasgow came to an end.
Speaking to the 'Sacked in the Morning' podcast about the title win during his stint at the Light Blues, Roofe said: "I genuinely do feel like I was able to contribute a lot; what was maybe missing, because I had a different playing style to anyone else in the squad or team.
"I spoke to Steven Gerrard when I left Rangers and he agreed with this, he said I was a massive part of the title win. That meant a lot of me."
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Roofe with manager Steven Gerrard(Image: PA)
Rohl has quickly won over the Ibrox fans after leading the club to fourth in the Premiership after Russell Martin's disastorous tenure in the dugout.
But Roofe has warned the German he will require "big shoulders" to stick it out at Rangers long-term like Gerrard.
Asked if he thought Rohl was the man to turn things around, the Walsall striker said: "I hope so, time will tell.
"We go back to patience and time, and at a club like Rangers you don't get that time.
"What I have noticed is the managers that don't start well don't last long at all, because the pressure keeps building on the manager, the manager changes his philosophy, his personality changes and he starts having a pop back at the fans or the media - and it's just a downward cycle from there.
"So, for me as a manager at Rangers you have to have the big shoulders to take the pressure and brush it off, and not change your way."
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