The rumoured Rangers target Tom Ince once named Steven Gerrard as the one player he would most like to play alongside.
Teamtalk claims Rangers have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing Ince, the Stoke City winger with whom Celtic and West Bromwich Albion are also being linked.
The 28-year-old came through the ranks at Liverpool while Gerrard was still a player there.
But the now Rangers manager was not in the squad when Ince made his one and only Reds appearance – during a penalty shootout defeat to Northampton in the EFL Cup 10 years ago.
And, in an interview with FourFourTwo while playing for Crystal Palace on loan from Blackpool in 2014, Ince said: “Presently, Steven Gerrard (is the present-day player he would most like to play alongside). I was lucky to train with him a couple of times when I was at Liverpool. The aura he has about him is just fantastic. As a wide player you like to have someone in midfield who can pick passes out. He’s done that for many years and he’s still doing it now.”
The presence of Gerrard could therefore work in Rangers’ favour if they are drawn into battle with Celtic, West Brom or others for Ince.
That said, the former England Under-21 international’s father, Paul, has not always had positive things to say about Gerrard.
Ince is reported to have cost Stoke £10 million two years ago and has scored or assisted 20 goals in 81 games for the English Championship side.
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