Rangers legend Graeme Souness has opened up on his move to Liverpool from Rangers in the early 90s – and admitted he left Ibrox too soon.
Souness, whose arrival at Ibrox shares similarities with Gerrard’s, had won three titles in four seasons at the club. But when Liverpool came knocking for a third time the Anfield legend eventually answered.
Souness made the leap to Liverpool after kickstarting 9IAR at Rangers, replacing Kenny Dalglish in the Anfield hotseat in 1991. It didn’t quite work out for the former Scotland midfielder for various reasons.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Souness told how he took that job “at the wrong time”.
Wrong time for Liverpool job
After four and a bit seasons at Ibrox, Souness had revolutionised the club. He’d taken the team to new heights and although at the time didn’t know it, he would help lead Rangers to a record equalling nine in a row.
He now admits leaving was naïve on his part and he never quite had the sway at Anfield he had at Ibrox.
“I took it at the wrong time. There is no doubt about it,” said Souness on the Liverpool job.
“I had five years at Rangers that had gone really well, I had tremendous support from David Holmes and then David Murray, and I was running the show there and it went very well.
“I was offered the Liverpool job twice and said no twice, and then ultimately said yes, I thought I would go in there and change it.
“At Rangers they bought into it because they were young boys, so then when I go to Liverpool… the response you would get would be ‘we have always done that’. It was very hard for me to argue that because I had been part of that culture.”
Still warmly remembered in Glasgow
The Souness Revolution was one of the biggest moments in Rangers’ history.
That glorious moustache ushered in a first title in nine years, a plethora of wonderful talent from down south and a return to the standards fans had long expected but rarely seen. His arrival changed the face of Rangers and Scottish football and he’ll never be forgotten at Ibrox.
After managing Liverpool, Souness went on to manage Galatasaray, Southampton, Torino, Benfica, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. He won three league titles and four cups at Ibrox.
Assistant Walter Smith took over permanently from Souness at the end of the 90/91 season. He would go on to complete Nine in a Row without him.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
