STEVEN Gerrard got Liverpool’s improbable comeback against AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul back in 2005 under way when he outjumped Jaap Stam, connected with a Xabi Alonso cross and then netted an outstanding header.

Now he is hoping that his Rangers side getting the better of the Feyenoord team Stam took charge of in the summer in their opening Europa League group game at Ibrox on Thursday night can be the catalyst for a unexpected run to the knockout stages of the competition.

The match between the Glasgow club and their Rotterdam rivals next week is an enticing one for many reasons. But seeing Gerrard and Stam, who locked horns on myriad occasions during their distinguished playing careers, pit their wits against each other on the touchline will make for fascinating viewing.

The Englishman is certainly relishing the prospect of squaring up to his old Dutch adversary for the first time since that unforgettable encounter in the Ataturk Stadium over 14 years ago.

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“It's crazy the way that one minute you're on a football pitch with them and the next minute you're arguing with them on the side of a pitch over your own players,” he said. “I am really looking forward to it.

"He was top drawer. You don't play for Manchester United and have that success, then get a move to AC Milan and play in European Cup finals if you are not top level. He was a centre back who had the lot - good in the air, could play on the floor, very difficult to get past him in one v one.

“I remember the battle (in Istanbul) well. Thankfully, he switched off against me for one second. But it wasn't just his fault. I'm sure he's blaming (Alessandro) Nesta as well. But he was some player and had an incredible career.”

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Stam is now, like Gerrard, trying to replicate the considerable success he enjoyed as a player with PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, Milan and Ajax as a manager. His old sparring partner saw the Reading team he took charge of for two seasons on a number of occasions. He is confident that he knows what to expect from Feyenoord and that Rangers can prevail.

“I watched his Reading team quite a bit, so I have a good idea how he wants his teams to play,” he said. "They liked to play from the back, so they open up, home and away. He's not the type of manager who will go back to front really early unless he tries to pull something quite different against us.

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“He's schooled in the typical Dutch way. They like to dominate the ball and possession, they try to overload you in certain areas of the pitch. Whether he'll come here to Ibrox and try that will be interesting for us all to see, but he's definitely someone who likes to play on the floor.

“It will be a good test. They are an athletic team, a young team, fresh and full of energy, but like any other team they have a few flaws as well and we'll try and exploit them and try to control their strengths.”

Many Rangers supporters feel that stopping Celtic from winning their ninth consecutive Scottish title should be Gerrard’s priority this season. But a man who savoured so many special nights in Europe during his playing days is never going to prioritise domestic football over continental competition. Anyway, he is satisfied he has a strong enough squad now to cope with all of the demands on his team. He has made no fewer than nine permanent signings and brought in two new faces on loan this summer.

“These are the nights I want to coach in, of course, and I know the players have worked ever so hard to get this opportunity,” he said. “When you do get it, people say ‘do you move away from the domestic?’ That's very difficult because there will be a full house here on Thursday, there will be a roar at kick-off and an expectation for us to go and compete and get the right result. That's the reason why I've tried to get a squad capable to compete in both.

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"All I ask of those people, is put yourself in my shoes. I love it. Europe's the pinnacle. This group, as a whole, is more difficult than last year's, but we're better as well. Of course we are the underdogs in the group, we have to realise where we are as a club but at the same time we are not going to just roll over and finish bottom of this group with zero points - that's not going to happen.”

Liverpool’s dramatic win over AC Milan – they were 3-0 down at half-time and fought back and won in a penalty shoot-out - was later dubbed The Miracle in Istanbul. Gerrard doesn’t believe that Rangers going further in the Europa League than last season and getting out of Group G will be a comparable accomplishment. He insists, however, that coming through four qualifying rounds once again and progressing from a section that comprises Porto, Feyenoord and Young Boys would be a remarkable feat all the same.

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“I'm not going to say it would be a miracle because I don't think it's as big as that,” he said. “But I think it would be a special achievement to get out of the group and reach the knockout round. To come from where we were as a club, to progress and get out of the calibre of group we're in – it would be a fantastic achievement.”

Having had to negotiate 13 matches in three different competitions, the Europa League, Ladbrokes Premiership and Betfred Cup, in less than two months, Gerrard welcomed some much-needed down time during the international break. He is feeling refreshed and looking forward to the considerable challenges which lie ahead.

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“This is a fantastic experience for me as a manager,” he said. “To have two European runs in the first 14 months here. A year here probably feels like two everywhere else – and the rest! You realise that when you get to an international break. You get in the car, drive home and drop your shoulders. You think 'wow'. From June 15 to September 1 is some slog, whether you're a player or a coach.

“I don't stop. Even on a day off, I get emails on who's available, what we're doing, fitness numbers. It's non-stop, round the clock. To get away for a few days last week with no phone, letting my hair down, was perfect to relax, re-group and re-energise.

“The hunger's there in the group off the back of a disappointing Old Firm result. We've got a huge European game this week and this is what we all signed up for here. So let's go and enjoy it, as well as giving it everything we've got.”