Football News

Umar Sadiq accuses Steven Gerrard of “humiliating” him at Rangers and claims club still owe him wages

By William Eldridge

Published: 17:10, 26 March 2019

Former Rangers striker Umar Sadiq has sensationally hit out at current club boss Steven Gerrard, accusing the former Liverpool man of “humiliating” him.

The Nigerian is currently on loan at Serie B side Perugia following his unsuccessful stint at the Ibrox.

What is the Sadiq situation? Five things you need to know…

  1. Steven Gerrard signed Umar Sadiq on loan from AS Roma in the summer for the entirety of the season.
  2. Sadiq only made one league appearance before heading back to Italy in December.
  3. The Nigerian has accused the club of “disrespect”.
  4. He has hit out at Gerrard for his role in the limited opportunities he was given in Glasgow as well as his loan being subsequently cut short.
  5. The 22-year-old has also accused Rangers of owing him a month’s wages.

The young striker – who failed to get up and running for Rangers in his short spell at the club – has spoken to reporters in great detail regarding his experience in Scotland.

Sadiq has hit out at both Rangers and Steven Gerrard, insisting that the club and former Liverpool midfielder acted unprofessionally throughout his time there.

Speaking to The Sunday Post, he said: “All of a sudden, I was told that I could not use the first-team dressing-room any more. Instead I had to go change with the kids. Then, after a few days, I was also forbidden to park my car inside the training centre.

“I felt humiliated and kept asking what was the reason for the change of attitude. But I never received any answers. Gerrard wouldn’t give any explanation about it, neither to me nor my representatives.

“I believe absolutely that I was not given a fair chance to show what I can do. They made me feel like a stranger. I started only once (in the League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen) and that was when there were no other strikers available.

“As I say, for me everything went wrong after they brought in another striker (Lafferty). Once I put a ‘like’ on Instagram to a post from a fan – and I was fined £20,000, which was absurd.

“And Rangers didn’t even pay me up everything I was due. They still have to give me my salary for December.”

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“I don’t care how they do” 

Understandably, Sadiq isn’t a man who holds great affection for the Scottish club, who currently sit second in the Scottish Premier League, 10 points behind arch-rivals Celtic.

At new club Perugia, Sadiq has scored twice in eight games as he tries to get his career back on track. Four goals in six Nigeria U23 appearances suggests he may have a bright future in football but that certainly won’t be with Rangers.

“I honestly don’t care how they do,” he said.

“As long as I was a Rangers player, I behaved like a professional, giving everything I could of myself to the shirt.

“But now I don’t want to hear about them and what they are doing any more. In my opinion, they behaved in a disrespectful way to me, both as a player and as a person.

“When it ended, Steven Gerrard didn’t even have the courage to talk to me and tell me what was happening face-to-face.

“That was a surprise to me. I didn’t expect such behaviour.

“How he will do long-term as a manager, I do not know. That is his business and I have my own career to think about.”