GLASGOW - New Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, says he will not be preoccupied by Celtic as he concentrates on making Rangers a force to be reckoned with.
"I think for me it is important not to be obsessed with Celtic. I have to sort Rangers out," the former Liverpool and England skipper told Britain's Press Association Sport as he oversaw the start of pre-season training. His priority is to get them fit for his debut Scottish Premiership campaign and he said that, and not closing last season's 12-point gap to their Old Firm rivals, was his focus.
"There are things we need to improve on and my focus is on Rangers," said Gerrard, who will be up against former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, now in the Celtic hotseat, next season as he looks to alter the balance of power in Glasgow. Gerrard said the pair have already exchanged several messages but he said his duty was to focus on the league as a whole, not just the threat from Celtic Park.
"There are some good teams in the league but for me I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I was focusing on the other teams." Rangers will start off at Aberdeen with Celtic their opposition in their fourth match of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Celtic have signed French striker Odsonne Edouard on a four-year permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain, the Scottish champions announced Friday. The Hoops are reported to have broken their transfer record, spending £9 million, ($12 million, 10.3 million euros) to secure the services of the 20-year-old Edouard on a full-time basis. Eduoard spent last season on loan with the Glasgow giants, scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances as Celtic secured a second successive domestic treble.