Rangers midfielder John Lundstram has revealed that he did struggle with the weight of expectation after first arriving at Ibrox last summer.

The Englishman claims that the pressure of playing for a bigger club was amplified by the presence of fellow Scouser Steven Gerrard as manager:

“It wasn’t about proving a point to myself because I’ve always been confident in my ability and I know what I can do. But coming to a new club – and it’s a massive club to come into – there was a lot of pressure on me to perform early doors and hit the ground running.”

“Playing for Steven was massive for me and I think that added a bit of pressure playing for my boyhood hero. A run of games has helped. It comes with time. You’ve seen it with better players than me who have struggled at bigger clubs. It has turned out the way it has, though, and I’m absolutely over the moon.”

Anyone who had watched Lundstram play for Sheffield United knew he was a decent player, but he didn’t make the best of starts after completing his free transfer move from the Blades.

It does appear as though Gerrard’s departure for Aston Villa inadvertently helped Lundstram in terms of him settling into his new club. While it did take some time before the 28-year-old became a regular starter under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he has certainly proven any doubters wrong over the past few months.

Lundstram has become a key player for the Light Blues, and it looks as though he will be a mainstay in midfield for the foreseeable future.