Steven Gerrard steps in to defend Rangers legend as he shuts down Martin Keown live on TV

Steven Gerrard has earned praise from football fans after stepping in to defend Graeme Souness during a live TNT Sports broadcast.

The former Rangers manager was working as a pundit at the Allianz Arena following Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal when Martin Keown attempted to involve him in a debate surrounding Souness’ criticism of Declan Rice.

The former Liverpool and Rangers midfielder has recently questioned Rice’s standing in the game, describing the England international as “limited” and a “steady Eddie” following England’s World Cup exit.

However, Gerrard was full of admiration for Rice after the midfielder scored a late equaliser in Munich, prompting Keown to raise the recent criticism.

The former Arsenal defender interjected as Gerrard discussed the goal, referencing the debate over whether Rice should be considered a world-class midfielder.

Gerrard, though, was unwilling to be drawn into a public disagreement with Souness, quickly steering the conversation away from the controversy.

“Forget about that,” he responded, insisting that Rice was a world-class midfielder and describing his late strike as a top-class goal.

Gerrard then suggested that Keown was focusing too much on the wider debate surrounding Rice rather than the midfielder’s performance on the night.

He added that there was no need to use the goal to settle arguments taking place across other football programmes.

The exchange subsequently attracted attention on social media, with several Liverpool supporters applauding Gerrard for refusing to join in with the criticism of Souness.

One fan suggested that Keown had been preparing to respond to Souness’ comments before Gerrard quickly brought the discussion to an end.

Another claimed Keown appeared to expect Gerrard to join him in criticising the former Liverpool and Rangers captain.

A third supporter praised Gerrard’s approach, arguing that he defended Souness diplomatically while still making his own position on Rice perfectly clear.

The former Rangers boss’ intervention therefore earned recognition from fans who felt he had handled an awkward live television moment with composure and tact.