The Derby County manager felt that Rangers fully deserved their win at Ibrox.
Rangers won the match 1-0 thanks to a late Nikola Katic header but in truth the match could, and should, have ended with a bigger margin of victory for the Gers.
Rams goalkeeper Kelle Roos was the hero of the match, making a number of excellent saves to keep Derby in the game. Wes Foderingham in contrast was rarely troubled at the other end.
Describing Gerrard’s team as “great”, Cocu fully admitted his side didn’t deserve to win the encounter.
Speaking to dcfc.co.uk, the former Barcelona man said: “I think it was an excellent test for us against a great team.
“It was a good game, up and down, some periods in the game where I thought we did very well, some parts of the game we struggled.
“They pushed us back and the same in the second half. Their goal was from a corner but to be honest it was a well deserved win.”
Derby had fielded a strong team and although they’re not the same outfit that almost gained promotion to the Premier League last season, it’ll likely be heartening for Gerrard to see his side perform so well against a talented unit.
The Gers have showed up well against decent opposition in pre-season with Marseille suffering a heavy defeat just a few weeks ago.
While the matches are all about fitness, it bodes well for the Ibrox club as they approach their first domestic test of the season against Kilmarnock this Sunday.
Killie were a ferocious opponent last term and even though Steve Clarke has left to take charge of Scotland, it’s a great chance for Rangers to lay down a marker and show their supporters they can be taken seriously this season.
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