Kyle Lafferty shares what Steven Gerrard told him in Rangers win

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Glasgow Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty rounded off the emphatic victory for the Ibrox side on Sunday.

Kyle Lafferty has told Rangers’s official website that Steven Gerrard’s message to him before introducing him as a substitute during Sunday’s win was simply to go and get himself a goal.

The Gers followed up their 5-0 Scottish Cup victory in midweek with a win by the same scoreline when they faced Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend. Most of the damage was done during the first-half as the Light Blues scored four times before the interval.

Their only goal after the break came in the final couple of minutes as Lafferty found the back of the net in the league for the first time since September. It has not been an easy spell for the Northern Ireland international, who has predominantly played the role of backup to both Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe.

But Lafferty’s wait for a league goal is now over. And after the game, he shared what Gerrard had told him before he went on.

“I’ve been desperate for a goal to be honest. I was happy to get on to the pitch and get a goal and it gives my confidence a bit of a boost,” he told the club’s official website.

“The manager told me to go on and try to get myself a goal. I think he knows that I’ve been desperate to get a goal and I’ve been unlucky with a few chances.”

It is arguably excellent man-management from Gerrard. It is often said when players are struggling, especially strikers, that they overthink things and fail to act on instinct.

So perhaps with that in mind, Gerrard seemingly decided to not give Lafferty any tactical instructions in the hope that he would relax more while on the pitch. And if that was the case, it certainly appears to have paid off for the Gers as the 31-year-old did score.

If Lafferty is able to get back towards his best – it, of course, will certainly not be easy given the role he has in the squad – that could be a massive boost for Rangers as they look to build on Sunday’s win and prove that they do not necessarily need Morelos in the lineup to tear teams apart.