Rangers academy graduate Stephen Kelly believes that the standard of the club's youth set-up has risen since the arrival of Steven Gerrard, with the presence of the Liverpool great adding pressure on the players to do their best.
The youngster is considered to have a bright future ahead of him by many and made his first-team debut for the Scottish giants in September 2018, coming on as a substitute against Ayr United.
The following summer Kelly was sent out on loan to the same Championship club, where he managed to feature in 33 games, scoring six goals, before the season was brought to an abrupt halt.
Now that the season remains suspended, the young midfielder sat down to respond to questions asked by Rangers fans about the man in charge at Ibrox and how things have transpired so far under the 39-year-old.
Giving an insight into the workings of the academy and how Gerrard has influenced it, the youngster said: "I think the standard around the Academy has risen since when the manager came in.
"His presence is also felt as an extra pressure for myself and all players to do as well as we can."
Midfielder Kelly also took time to insist that the biggest thing Gerrard has done to him is to improve the physical aspect of his game.
"I think the biggest thing from the manager and his staff since they came in was for me to improve physically and I feel I have done that.
"It has helped me succeed in a first-team environment."
Kelly will be looking to catch Gerrard's eye going forward and establish himself as a regular in the first team squad.
