'Part of me left Rangers when Gerrard did' – Borna Barasic reveals biting dig about being 'soft' from his OWN manager

The emotion in Borna Barisic’s voice is still raw.

When the quiet Croatian speaks, he’s husky at the best of times. But now, it’s almost cracking. That’s what talking about Steven Gerrard – and Rangers – does to him. It’s been only 26 days since he officially left Ibrox for Turkish club Trabzonspor. After six years in Glasgow, that’s going to take a bit of getting used to.

Rangers didn’t just impact Barisic’s career. It changed his life. And at the forefront of that was the gaffer who signed him from Osijek in 2018. Gerrard wasn’t only his manager, he was a mentor. So, when he quit for Aston Villa after leading Rangers to their 55th title, it had a seismic effect on the left-back. For the first time, Barisic has spoken candidly about the influence the former Ibrox boss had on him. And he’s admitted that when Gerrard moved on in 2021, part of him left Rangers at the same time.

That’s why even the mention of his name, gets a reaction full of warmth and affection from Barisic. After all, this was a guy who plucked him from relative obscurity in his homeland and exposed him to life at the Old Firm. And for a couple of years at least, Gerrard turned him and Rangers skipper James Tavernier into one of the most deadly full-back pairings in Europe. In an exclusive interview with Record Sport , Barisic said: “Oh my God, how big was Steven’s influence on me? Before now, I probably didn’t want to answer that question because he was my manager, my coach. But now I can.

“He had SO much influence – like no one ever before in my career. When I played under Steven, I thought I could fly. That’s the effect he had on my mindset. First of all, he brought me to the club along with Mark Allen.

“So he trusted me from day one. Then, after a