Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: Steven Gerrard reveals failed Rangers loan bid

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall nearly ended up at Rangers years before he became one of Everton’s key men. Steven Gerrard has revealed he tried to take the midfielder to Ibrox on loan when he was a youngster at Leicester City.

The former Liverpool captain was speaking on The Overlap Daily, via Sky Bet. He also gave a glowing verdict on Dewsbury-Hall’s form under David Moyes and said he would have liked to see him in the England squad.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the Rangers loan bid that never happened

Gerrard explained that the idea came from a low-key friendly during an international break. Rangers played Leicester’s under-23s at Ibrox to give minutes to the players who stayed behind. Two names jumped off the pitch at him.

“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.'”

Steven Gerrard, The Overlap Daily

The move never came off. Gerrard pointed to the man in the Leicester dugout at the time as the likely reason. “Unfortunately, Brendan Rodgers was the man,” he said. “But I would have taken them, I would have taken both on loan in a flash.”

He also explained how Rangers planned to use him. “We wanted him to be a running eight,” Gerrard said. “We saw him as that left-sided one, or maybe sometimes on the right, getting the ball and putting half-space crosses in.”

Gerrard on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s Everton form

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall joined Everton from Chelsea last summer for an initial fee of £25million. Since the start of last season, he has scored 11 Premier League goals and added seven assists, according to the Liverpool Echo.

His latest goal came on Friday night as Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Gerrard believes he has found the perfect role under Moyes.

“He’s a player with a great mentality and one of the players you want in your dressing room. A top signing for Everton. 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.”

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard also praised the partnership with striker Thierno Barry, who reached 10 goals for the season in the Coventry win. “Barry causes a lot of chaos, and he does a lot of unselfish running, so they’re a good little pairing,” he said.

Gerrard also compared Dewsbury-Hall and James Garner to a famous Goodison midfield pairing from the 1990s. “Him and James Garner are the old dogs of war,” he said. “Remember them? Barry Horne and John Ebbrell and Co.”

“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.”

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the England question

Dewsbury-Hall scored against Coventry just hours after missing out on Thomas Tuchel’s squad. He has already vowed to keep chasing his England dream, and Gerrard is firmly on his side.

“I was a little bit disappointed for him that he just missed out. 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. So, you can understand the selection, but for him, I would have liked to have seen him in it because he’s been fantastic.”

Steven Gerrard

You can see who did make the cut in our England squad announcement piece.

What comes next for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Everton return to action after the international break, with plenty of attention now on Dewsbury-Hall’s numbers. For the latest table, fixtures and news, head to our Premier League hub.

Gerrard’s full comments were first reported by the Liverpool Echo.