Andy Halliday is convinced Steven Gerrard can lead Rangers to the Premiership title next season and deny Celtic a historic 10-in-a-row.

And the midfielder is convinced the Ibrox club could even have stopped the Hoops clinching a ninth success.

Halliday, freed by his boyhood heroes after five years in Govan, firmly believes Gerrard is the man to break Celtic’s domestic dominance - if he can bring in some quality to add to the signing of Ianis Hagi.

The 28-year-old reckons the squad already at the club is not far away from being able to challenge the Parkhead club for silverware next season.

And - despite being a massive 13 points adrift, with a game in hand, when the campaign was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic - the former Livingston and Middlesbrough player is adamant the Light Blues still had a chance of pipping their rivals to the championship.

Speaking of Gerrard and his backroom team, he said: “I firmly believe they’re the right people to take the club forward. It’s a massive season.

“Since I’ve been at the club I’d love to know the exact number, but we’ve signed something crazy like 80 players.

“Every single summer there’s been a big turnover, players coming in and players going out.

“The first year of [Mark] Warburton there was about 12 signings, the first year in the Premiership there was about 12 signings, then Pedro [Caixinha] came in and made about 25, and then the gaffer came in and wanted to build his own squad.

“I just hope going into this season there’s maybe three or four really good signings. and I think that’s all the club needs just now, because we’ve got a strong squad.

“It’s just that two, three, four bits of quality to help us on the way.

“But, in terms of the staff that’s there, I have no doubt they’re the people to take the club forward.

“It’s a huge season for Rangers, but it’s one I’m confident they can certaintly be very competitive in - and hopefully win the league.

“If we show the form and consistency we did in the first six months then 100 per cent we can do it.”

On the curtailed season that saw Celtic handed the title, he added: “Celtic were the favourites to go on and win the title, I’m not going to lie.

“But Rangers have won two league titles on the last day of the season and Rangers have been seven points clear going into a title race and ended up losing the title.

“So, it was a never-say-never scenario.

“Celtic were the favourites but as players we were always going to try to claw it back and take it game by game and try to beat them.

“Going into two Old Firm games, both of them were must-wins but it got taken out everybody’s hands with the [SPFL] making the decision.

“So it’s obviously all guns blazing for Rangers going into next season now.”

Meanwhile, Halliday reckons he’s so disliked in his home country his career now lies elsewhere.

He has been linked with a possible switch to the MLS in the United States and admits a return to English football or a move abroad is the most likely outcome.

He added to PLZ Soccer: “I’m not the most liked person in Scotland, I can’t see many people wanting to sign me. I’m not sure.

“The good thing for myself is it’s just me and my girlfriend; we don’t have kids, so I don’t have young kids to restrict anything.

“I’m not scared to make any type of move and make any decisions like that just now.

“It’s going to be a slow process with this pandemic but I’m open to going abroad and open to going back down south.

“I’m just trying to keep my options open just now and see what’s what.

“But I’ll be honest, I can’t see it being Scotland.”