Barry Ferguson and Steven Gerrard could be set to do battle for the Rangers manager’s hot seat.
Rangers are on the verge of a US buyout with 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh set to decide who will become the 20th permanent manager of the famous Ibrox club.
49ers technical director Gretar Steinsson will play a key role in that decision, with both Barry Ferguson and Steven Gerrard almost certainly set to form part of the next Rangers manager discussions.
Interim boss Ferguson is coy about going full-time at Rangers whilst Steven Gerrard has been named amongst the frontrunners.
But whilst the two iconic British midfielders look set to rival each other for the Rangers dugout, did Ferguson and Gerrard ever face off as footballers?
Did Barry Ferguson ever face Steven Gerrard with Scotland?
Rangers legend Ferguson is a former Scotland captain and one of the most iconic and gifted midfielders of his generation from the country.
Similarly, Liverpool legend Gerrard made his name at Anfield before going on to captain England.
But whilst both have a storied history with their respective nations – Ferguson made 45 caps for Scotland and Gerrard 114 for England – they never actually played each other on international duties.
Barry Ferguson played in a Euro 2000 playoff match with England at Hampden in November 1999, coming up against Paul Scholes in midfield with the Man United legend netting a double in a 2-0 Three Lions win.
This was the only game that Ferguson played against the Auld Enemy as a Scotland international, with the next match between the two nations not taking place until 14 years later.
Gerrard wouldn’t make his England debut until he played against Ukraine in May 2000, with the legendary Scouser starting the 3-2 England win at Wembley in 2013.
This was Stevie G’s only England appearance against Scotland.
Barry Ferguson v Steven Gerrard in Premier League
Whilst Ferguson and Gerrard never faced off against each other on international duties, they did come up against one another at club level.
Barry Ferguson famously moved to Blackburn Rovers in a £7.5m deal back in 2003 and came up against a young Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.
A Michael Owen double sinked Blackburn Rovers in a 3-1 Liverpool win at Ewood Park in September 2003 with both Ferguson and Gerrard on the pitch.
A month later in October, the two clubs would meet in the English League Cup at Ewood Park and playing out a seven-goal thriller.
Barry Ferguson scored in the match but was powerless to resist as Gerrard and Liverpool ran out 4-3 winners.
Coincidentally, this was Ferguson’s first goal following that big money move to Blackburn Rovers in the summer.
Owen would net another brace in the return Premier League fixture at Anfield in April 2004, although by this stage Ferguson was ruled out with a serious knee injury.
Gerrard was then missing for a 2-2 draw between the two at Ewood Park in October 2004, with Ferguson playing the entire match before returning to Rangers in the January.
Ferguson didn’t play the only time the two could’ve met in Glasgow, Gerrard leading a 4-0 Liverpool pre-season friendly romp at Ibrox.
After returning to Birmingham City in 2009, Ferguson missed the first Premier League game with Liverpool and a 2-2 draw at Anfield.
But the Rangers legend would face off against Gerrard later in the season, Stevie G scoring Liverpool’s goal in a 1-1 draw at St Andrews in April 2010.
The following campaign, Ferguson and Gerrard came head to head in a 0-0 draw in Birmingham in September, before both players missed Liverpool’s thumping 5-0 win in the return fixture in April 2011.
In total, Ferguson faced off against Gerrard four times with the Rangers legend losing on two occasions and drawing twice.
- Blackburn 1-3 Liverpool (Sep, 2003)
- Liverpool 4-3 Blackburn (October, 2003)
- Birmingham 1-1 Liverpool (April, 2010)
- Birmingham 0-0 Liverpool (September, 2010)
