Footballing legend and current Rangers coach Steven Gerrard has been blasted by Roma forward Sadiq Umar, following an unsuccessful spell on loan at Ibrox this season.
He joined the Glasgow club on loan last summer from the Giallorossi but had a disappointing time in Glasgow and departed in the winter window to join Perugia for the remainder of the campaign.
In an interview with the Sunday Post, he revealed that Gerrard was not as he expected, having forced him to train away from the first team and offering little explanation for it.
“Gerrard was very different from how I thought he would be. Initially, I knew nothing of their interest as it was all through my agents. I wasn’t sure about the move but it was Gerrard himself who convinced me,” he stated.
“He phoned me three or four times to tell me he liked me, that he would be by my side and help me develop. It made me feel important and that convinced me to accept it.
“They signed another striker though and that was when the nightmare started. Suddenly, I was told I could no longer use the first team dressing room and had to change with the kids.
“A few days later, they even forbade me from parking my car in the training ground car park. I felt humiliated and kept asking why there was this change in attitude but I never received an answer nor an explanation, either to me or my agents.”
He also claimed that there are still unresolved financial issues between him and the Glasgow club and admitting that he is still surprised by what transpired with the former Liverpool star, in his first job in senior football management.
“They once fined my £20,000 for liking a post on Instagram. It was absurd, and they still have to pay me. I am still owed my salary for December,” he added.
“I think they behaved in a very disrespectful way towards me, both as a player and a person. When it was all over, Gerrard didn’t have the courage to talk to me face to face about what happened. It was a huge surprise, I didn’t expect such behaviour.”
