Rumour Mill: Stephen Gerrard slams plastic pitches | Hibs chief speaks out | Craig Levein offers Steven Naismith advice

Stephen Gerrard criticises plastic pitches; Hibs chief executive insists she never considered stepping down and Craig Levein has urged Steven Naismith not to jeopardise his dream of representing Scotland plus more in Saturday’s Rumour Mill.

Stephen Gerrard calls for plastic pitches ban amid players’ safety

Steven Gerrard has insisted that plastic pitches threaten the livelihoods of the county’s players and called on football authorities to get rid of them.

Gerrard gave the strongest denunciation of the surfaces in endorsing PFA Scotland’s player petition this week that called for these to be outlawed. The Rangers manager, who described the Rugby Park surface his team have played on twice in recent weeks as the “worst” he has ever “walked on”. And he cited the knee-ligament injury sustained by the Ibrox winger Jamie Murphy at Kilmarnock in August that has kept him out since as an example of players putting their careers at risk on synthetic surfaces.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard during training at Ibrox. Picture: Bill Murray/SNS