Steven Gerrard has revealed he tried to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on loan during his time as Rangers manager, praising the Everton midfielder as a player every manager would want in their team.
Dewsbury-Hall has impressed for Everton since joining from Chelsea last summer for an initial fee of £25million. Since the start of last season, he has scored 11 goals in the Premier League and provided seven assists. His latest goal came on Friday as David Moyes' side came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Gerrard's admiration for Dewsbury-Hall
Speaking about the midfielder, Gerrard said: "He's a player with a great mentality and one of the players you want in your dressing room. A top signing for Everton."
He added: "And yeah, I can see him going on and getting more goals this season. It's a great role for him in the Moyes team, to have that licence to go and join in and get around."
Gerrard also highlighted the partnership between Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry, saying: "(Thierno) Barry causes a lot of chaos, and he does a lot of unselfish running, so they're a good little pairing."
Loan attempt at Rangers
Gerrard revealed that during his time in charge of Rangers, he tried to bring Dewsbury-Hall and Harvey Barnes on loan to Ibrox after watching them play for Leicester City's under-23s.
"I did try and sign him on loan, I must say," he told The Overlap Daily, via Sky Bet. "He was a youngster at Leicester City."
He explained: "We played Leicester's under-23s in an international break, with the Rangers team, because we wanted to give minutes to the lads that were staying behind. So, we played Leicester's under-23s. They came up, we played them at Ibrox, and I'm watching the game and I'm thinking to myself, 'Who's he and who's he?' I go to the team sheet: Harvey Barnes and Dewsbury-Hall. As soon as the game finished, I'm saying to Mark Allen, who was the sporting director at the time, 'Can you get me those two on loan? Do whatever we need to do to get them on loan.'"
However, the move did not materialise, with Gerrard noting: "But unfortunately, Brendan Rodgers was the man. Yeah, probably the reason, yeah. But I would have taken them, I would have taken both on loan in a flash."
Role under Moyes
Gerrard also discussed how Dewsbury-Hall's role at Everton differs from what he had planned for him at Rangers. He said: "When we tried to sign him, we wanted him to be a running eight. We played with two eights that liked to get into the box, and we saw him as that left-sided one, or maybe sometimes on the right, getting the ball and putting half-space crosses in."
He added: "But I think David Moyes has given him a little bit more freedom and a little bit more licence to run and make sure that Barry's not isolated up there on his own."
Gerrard praised Dewsbury-Hall's all-round contribution, saying: "He's a powerful runner, he's someone who does his job well for the team out of possession, so he's physical, he's aggressive, he works hard. Him and James Garner are the old dogs of war. Remember them? Barry Horne and John Ebbrell and Co. They've got Everton playing aggressively. Harrison Armstrong's in there as well, so they've got a nice blend in that midfield."
He continued: "But Dewsbury-Hall's the one who's got a little bit of magic about him. He's got a wand of a left foot. His goal was amazing. I think Frank Lampard will be disappointed with his goalkeeper, but he deserved that goal."
England squad omission
Gerrard also expressed sympathy for Dewsbury-Hall missing out on England selection, saying: "He's in top form, and I was a little bit disappointed for him that he just missed out (on the England squad). But I think he misses out because he's more of a running 10 for Everton. And then you look at Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer doesn't get in the squad."
He concluded: "So, he's in a real tough pool of players to move and dislodge, because they're all in good form for England. So, you can understand the selection, but for him, I would have liked to have seen him in it because he's been fantastic."
