Manchester United. The other seemed to carry Liverpool on his own at times. And both were driven by a desire to be better than the other one.
But three years ago the worlds of Sir Alex Ferguson and Steven Gerrard collided in a way that shattered old rivalries and united them in a common cause.
Rangers. Fergie, the Rangers fan, reached out to Gerrard, the new Rangers manager, and the then-rookie boss grabbed with both hands the chance to learn from the best.
Today, with a league title won two months ago and the trophy about to be lifted on Saturday, Gerrard has been named by the Scottish Football Writers’ Association as their William Hill Manager of the Year.
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