---
title: "Jermain Defoe details how boardroom friction prompted Steven Gerrard exit"
canonical: "https://readrangers.com/2026/09/16/jermain-defoe-details-how-boardroom-friction-prompted-steven-gerrard-exit/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Rangers News"
published: "2026-09-16T16:02:15Z"
modified: "2026-09-16T16:02:15Z"
---

# Jermain Defoe details how boardroom friction prompted Steven Gerrard exit

Former Rangers striker Jermain Defoe has confirmed that Steven Gerrard cried uncontrollably following the club’s league title victory before internal hierarchy friction prompted his exit.

## Gerrard Overwhelmed By Title

Defoe arrived at Ibrox midway through the manager’s first season and helped secure the 55th Scottish League Championship in 2021. Speaking to the [Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrards-unseen-reaction-rangers-37670069.amp), the forward explained that ending a decade-long wait for a top-flight trophy deeply affected the head coach.

“He’s crying uncontrollably — that’s how much it meant to him, a Champions League winner,” Defoe said.

## Defoe Targets Ibrox Return

The former England international suggested that underlying tension over expectations contributed to Gerrard departing for Aston Villa three months into the following campaign.

“He said he had a meeting with the board, they put pressure on him \[to win again\] and compete in Europe, and he would put pressure on us to do it,” he added.

Defoe told [Rangers Review](https://www.rangersreview.co.uk/news/26556393.ex-rangers-star-reveals-emotional-steven-gerrard-moment) that the historic victory initially brought immense satisfaction to the coaching setup.

“It was actually more of a relief when we won it,” he confirmed.

Despite the abrupt mid-season managerial change, Defoe insisted the squad possessed the required mentality to retain their crown had the coaching staff remained intact. The veteran, who recently managed non-league Woking, outlined his own ambition to eventually secure the permanent dugout role at Ibrox.

Derek McInnes’s current side travel to face Celtic in the Premiership on 20 September.