BRENDAN RODGERS has warned Rangers manager Steven Gerrard that he faces adjusting to a different sport altogether as he makes the transition from player to boss.

The Liverpool legend has dived straight in at the deep end in his first senior managerial role, and while Rodgers believes his former player at Anfield has attributes that should help him as he steps into the dugout, he cautioned his new rival that nothing can prepare you for the extra responsibilities that come with heading up such a huge club.

The Celtic manager is looking forward to seeing what kind of challenge Rangers can mount to his side’s domestic dominance, and says that locking horns with Gerrard should be fun.

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“I’ve come up against guys that I’ve known well before, and I’ve come up against top class players before,” Rodgers said. “So, there is nothing new in it.

“But of course, Steven is someone that I know well, and he has decided to take his first steps into management at Rangers, and I’m sure he’ll enjoy the challenge and the test of it all. So, it will be fun.

 “I think when you go into management at whatever level then, no matter what you have done or achieved as a player, once you close that door behind you as a player, then you are entering a different sport.

“As a player you are always looking after yourself and making sure that everything was okay. But as a manager you have to look after everything.

“But Stevie has got experience in terms of leadership and leading the team, so that will stand him in good stead, like you’ve seen with other captains who have gone into management positions.

“Wherever you go as a first-time manager, it is always a test, and of course he’s gone to a big club at Rangers, so that will be a test, but I’m sure it’s one he will enjoy.”

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One of the advantages Gerrard enjoys according to Rodgers is that he shouldn’t be blindsided by the level of scrutiny he will be under in Glasgow.

“A club like Liverpool can train you for that a bit,” he said. “I know that because I was the manager there and Steven has played there. It is when you have been in and around that pressure, in that environment, then it certainly helps when you go into another pressure situation. That is what can prepare you.

“And of course, if it’s your first job then of course it adds a little bit more to it. But that is why you make the steps into management. You have to take a step somewhere and he has decided to make that step at Rangers.

“Plus, he’s got his staff around him that he knows well, so he’ll be looking to do well.”

 Rodgers believes that improvements being made at clubs right across the Scottish Premiership should make for an exciting and tough campaign.

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“I think it is going to be competitive,” he said. “I always gear myself up for a competitive season and I don’t see this one being any different. With the number of games we have to play, it is always a real challenge for us.

“But I think it looks a really exciting league. Obviously, you’ve got Steven coming in to Rangers, and he’ll be looking to make real strides in his first management job.

“Derek (McInnes) at Aberdeen has finished runners-up again and he has done a really fantastic job there. You’ve got Neil (Lennon) at Hibs, and Craig (Levein) at Hearts, and Stevie Robinson has done really well at Motherwell, and you’ve got Clarky [Steve Clarke] at Kilmarnock.

“So, there is lots of competition there and it’s another season that I am excited about.”