Speaking to the Gazette, Blackburn Rovers summer signing Stewart Downing has revealed that he held talks with Rangers manager Steven Gerrard over a possible move to Ibrox before making a move to Ewood Park.
After it was confirmed that Stewart Downing would be leaving Championship side Middlesbrough at the end of the summer transfer window, a number of clubs were interested in snapping him up on the cheap.
Rangers were competing with Blackburn Rovers in the race for Downing and it was Rovers who were victorious, sealing a deal for the former England winger on a one-year contract.
Now, speaking to the Gazette, Downing has revealed that he had the option to move to Rangers, saying that he spoke to Steven Gerrard about a possible deal before opting against a move to Ibrox due to his concerns about game time.
“That was another option. I know Steven [Gerrard] so I spoke to him but he had a few players already in the pipeline and I need to play games. He already had a big squad at Rangers – would I have played as many games as I would liked to? I don’t know. At Blackburn, I will be involved a lot more and that was the main decision to go there.”
Downing has appeared in two Championship games so far this season, starting in opening day loss to Charlton Athletic as well as making a substitute appearance against Fulham and he will be hoping that his involvement in the first-team picture can continue.
