SAY what you like about Graeme Souness, but he certainly did things his way when he arrived at Ibrox to revolutionise our game in 1986.

So as Steven Gerrard follows in his footsteps by taking his first role in management at Ibrox after leaving Liverpool – much as Souness did more than three decades ago – perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the only bit of free advice the former Rangers legend offers in the Englishman’s direction is a reminder that ultimately, for all the guidance which will come in his direction from all sides, never forget that it is your name above the door.

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Despite guiding Rangers to three league titles, including one in his first full season in charge, Souness made plenty of mistakes back then. But they were definitely his mistakes to make.

“We’ve not spoken yet but a friend of his has been in touch with me,” said Souness, in Airdrie this weekend to take charge of a team in a charity football match in honour of St Andrews Hospice. “And I will be speaking to him before the season starts.

“My biggest piece of advice to him?” he added. “Be your own man. That’s it. Be your own man. And hopefully you’re a lucky man. You have to believe in what you do because, ultimately, it’s your neck that’s on the line. If you’re going to die, you have to die by making your own decisions.”

The comparison between the two eras is obvious but illusory. While in some ways there is a parallel when it comes to plight of the club – Rangers hadn’t won the top flight title for eight years when Souness came over from Sampdoria to replace Jock Wallace, compared to seven years and counting right now – at least Souness could count upon a European ban south of the border and dollops of cash to lavish game-changing sums on the likes of Chris Woods and Terry Butcher.

He inherited a Rangers team trailing in fifth place in the 1985-86 Premier Division title race, way behind eventual champions Celtic as well as Hearts, Dundee United and Aberdeen, with some Ibrox attendances barely over the 12,000 mark. While Souness says it isn’t exactly mission impossible to overturn the power dynamics in the city in one season, it is equally true that the Parkhead side, seven titles down, and with a surplus of Champions League money in the bank, appear to be an unstoppable juggernaut.

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“There is no comparison between his situation and mine – other than it being the same club in name,” said Souness. “It’s a very different job because I had funds to work with. I had tremendous support from David Holmes, originally, and then David Murray throughout my time there.

“It’s a very different job for Steven. The money isn’t there. Scottish football can’t attract the same type of players you could when I was there, due to circumstances. When I went there, you had a strong Dundee United, a strong Aberdeen, a strong Hearts and strong Celtic. Now the focus is just on catching Celtic, really.

“It’s a big ask but not impossible, a big, big task for him,” added Souness. “And he’ll need a bit of luck – and support from the board. In terms of bringing players in, he’ll need the chairman to help. Obviously the group of players they’ve got now isn’t good enough, so there have to be changes in that respect. Steven will know that.”

Force of will only goes so far. Next season will show us how far. “You need a touch of gravitas to be the Rangers manager – and I think Steven has that,” said Souness. “He certainly has that from the kind of player he was. I don’t see that being an issue at all. But I think he will be shocked by the passion, even though he’s coming from one passionate football club to join another passionate club.

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“Without a shadow of a doubt, Steven will be able to attract better players. It comes back to whether it will be loan players or if he can buy them. I don’t suppose he’ll be buying too many. So Steven will have to be calling in a few favours.”

Will big-name players in England be prepared to drop wages for the lure of playing under Gerrard in Glasgow?

“I can’t speak for them. I just know how big Rangers Football Club is. It was a privilege to work there. And hopefully a lot of players out there see it that way. Steven will have respect on day one because of what he achieved as a player,” said Souness. “The players will definitely respond to that.”

Much will also depend on the role played by Gary McAllister as assistant, although he isn’t exactly a time-served veteran of the Scottish game in

quite the way that Souness benefited from in the form of Walter Smith. Souness feels someone else on the Rangers backroom team will have to mark Gerrard’s card.

“I had an enormous advantage because Walter had been around the Scottish scene for a long time,” said Souness. “There were no surprises for me, whoever we were playing – because Walter knew everything about them.

“I assume Steven will have someone on his staff who can provide that information. Gary won’t know that. But Gary is a highly-thought of football person – and a really, really good human being. I’m sure they’ll be fine. But you’ve got to know what you’re going in against.

“Like every Rangers supporter, I’m optimistic. Very optimistic.”