JON Daly believes that Rangers will have to fend off attempts to lure Steven Gerrard away from Ibrox this summer if they land the Premiership - and has urged his old club to hand their manager a new deal.

The former Liverpool and England midfielder has revitalised the Glasgow outfit since being appointed back in 2018 and appears set to secure their first Scottish title in 10 years in the coming months.

The 40-year-old, who is currently under contract until 2024, has been repeatedly tipped to return to Anfield and succeed Jurgen Klopp when the German leaves the current Premier League champions.

But Daly, the ex-Rangers striker who spent a spell as a coach at Hearts and is now assistant to Jonatan Johansson at TPS in Finland, reckons other clubs down south are certain to target Gerrard during the summer.

And he thinks the Ibrox board should move now and renegotiate his agreement so that he stays and builds on the progress that he has made to date in the 2021/22 season and beyond.

“I am pretty sure that Rangers will be able to kick on after this season,” he said. “It is a relatively young squad. If they can keep hold of their manager they can get better.

“That is the next big challenge for them if they do get over the line – keeping a hold of their manager. He has a high profile and I am sure there will be a lot of clubs knocking on the door and trying to secure his services. They need to tie him up for another number of years if they can.”