Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will battle all the way to keep a hold of Ryan Kent

Steven Gerrard has pledged to battle to the very end to keep Ryan Kent at Ibrox next season.

The Rangers manager has been delighted with the contribution made by the England youth internationalist during his loan spell from Liverpool.

And after watching him score a wonder strike against Celtic last weekend, he says his desire is to make the player an integral part of his plans for next season.

“Our supporters need to know I’m doing everything I can to make sure Ryan is here next year. He is one of the people I want to build the team around,” said Gerrard.

“We would love to have him back, and I won’t give up hope of keeping him until I see him in a different kit.

“But I think it would be unlikely to be a permanent move.

“And the numbers being spoken about (Liverpool are looking for around £12-million), I am out.

“I would be more confident about getting him back on a loan.

“The decision is going to be Ryan’s, alongside Liverpool and his people. All we can do is make sure we are at the table – and we will be at the table!

“Ryan knows that, his people know that and Liverpool know that.

“However, it’s a situation which could mean we might have to be patient and see what Jurgen Klopp does with Ryan, whether he extends his stay at Liverpool.

“There’s a lot of things that could happen over the next couple of months.”

Specifically, Anfield manager Klopp could decide in the complicated number-juggling act that goes into assembling a squad to compete at home and abroad, that he would be better served next season getting the 22-year-old off the books than continuing his development north of the border.

“If Liverpool wanted to sell him, that’s out of my hands,” admitted Gerrard.

“We’ll have to wait and see. I don’t know who is going to be at the table, and at what price, and what Liverpool want for Ryan.

“That’s none of my business. But Ryan knows that I want him here.

“His team-mates want him here – I know because I’ve seen it with my own eyes – and we’ll wait to see how that progresses.

“Am I confident? Yes and no.

“There is a lot of me that thinks this is the best place for Ryan.

“I try to put myself in the shoes of the agent and Liverpool, and I do actually believe that, given the stage Ryan is at, Rangers is a very good place for him to grow, develop and keep moving forward.

“And he has intimated to me that he’s enjoyed every minute of being here. He has enjoyed the journey so far.

“From where he was when he walked through the door to where he is now, he’s in a much better place.

“He is a different player to the one who arrived here. He has come out of his shell.”

Too much so, some might argue, given Kent will start his two-match ban today by missing Rangers game against Motherwell at Fir Park after having his suspension for his punch/push on Scott Brown upheld.

“If you look at Ryan from afar, he can be misunderstood,” Gerrard continued.

“From afar, people have an opinion of him which is so far from the truth.

“People think he’s got this confidence and swagger about him – but he is a lovely kid, who is good fun. He’s different.

“He has got a pet snake, he wears baggy tracksuits and he gets a tattoo every five minutes.

“But that’s fine by me. He’s different to other people, but he’s a great kid.

“I trained with him because he was around Liverpool’s first team at 17 or 18.

“It’s an eye-opener when Ryan’s running at you, especially when you are coming into your thirties.

“His memories of me are probably me kicking lumps out of him in training sessions!

“My memories are of him bursting past me!

“Now, our relationship is different. And having got to know him the way I have – I absolutely love him.”