THE comparison between Alfredo Morelos and Luis Suarez - in terms of their mentalities rather than their respective abilities - has come to mind before for Steven Gerrard.
As he has learned more about the Colombian, another similarity with the Uruguayan has started to appear.
The film that was aired on Rangers TV this week gave supporters an insight in Morelos the man rather than the player as the 22-year-old told his story in his words.
In the absence of knowledge about his remarkable back story, perceptions around Morelos have been formed and hardened since he moved to Ibrox last season.
The views of his detractors are unlikely to be altered, but Gerrard is pleased to see the striker being portrayed in a different way as he looks to break through the 30-goal barrier with a strike against Celtic.
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“I think in certain ways he’s misunderstood,” he said. “It was fantastic for Alfredo to do it, I think Alfredo should show the real side of him.
“We know him better than you guys. He is a normal player, he’s a human being and he has feelings.
“Of course, at times he steps over the line and he gets it wrong, but he’s young, he’s naive and he will learn. The film gives everyone a better idea of who he is. I enjoyed it, but then I know him a bit better than most.
“We had a very similar situation with Luis Suarez, now I’m not comparing them as players or in terms of ability. But it was the exact same thing with Luis, tons and tons of questions about him.
“Whether I’d be with England or whether I was in Tesco, people wanted to know about him.
“They would ask, ‘What’s Suarez like?’ They were expecting you to say ‘he’s an absolute lunatic.’ But it’s not true. Luis was first into training, he did his pre-work, he trained the best, he trained the hardest, he had the quickest lunch ever and then home to his family. He just wanted to be with his family. He was a family man, it was all about his wife and kids.
“On the pitch he was a phenomenal footballer, a phenomenal talent. Now and again he got it wrong and got it badly wrong.
“Where is he now? He’s probably better. He still plays with fire but has he improved, has he settled down with experience? Of course he has. And that’s got to be Alfredo’s target because he’s a top, top footballer.”
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One of the revelations that Morelos made in the ‘Soy Alfredo’ feature was his motivation in the game following the death of his sister.
The forward spoke passionately about his family and his faith and it was a side of him that Gerrard quickly came to know when he moved to Ibrox in the summer.
Gerrard said: “I was aware of it because, when I knew I had a chance of getting the job, one of the first people I looked at was Alfredo.
“His upbringing, what’s he got around him, his character.
“Those are the conversations you start a relationship off with. You talk about your family and learn bits and bobs about him. You can see his upbringing has helped him be the player he is. And that’s the case with a lot of South American players.
“In my own case, being a council estate boy and having nothing but a ball helped me and shaped me to become the player I was or am.
“Whatever you’re upbringing, be it on a field or a street, whether you have ten brothers or one or none, that shapes the way you are as an adult.”
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