The title-winning boss remains the favourite to land the Ibrox hot seat on a permanent basis
09:36, 27 Mar 2025
Steven Gerrard has left Al-Ettifaq
Steven Gerrard has left Al-Ettifaq(Image: Getty Images)
Out of work Steven Gerrard has been told how he can "put things right" at Rangers with a return to the club.
The Liverpool icon has emerged as the early frontrunner to become the next permanent boss at Ibrox in the summer after leaving Al-Ettifaq earlier this season.
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Barry Ferguson has stepped into the hot seat on an interim basis - and has boosted his chances of landing the job permanently by seeing off Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce to reach the Europa League quarter-final and beating the Hoops on their own turf.
But title-winning boss Gerrard has still remained the frontrunner with oddsmakers after bringing the Premiership title to Ibrox in 2021.
There was some backlash from the Rangers' support after he departed the club midway through the following season for Aston Villa - but Lee Sharpe reckons the time could be right for a comeback.
Speaking to BetBrain, Sharpe said: “I’m not too sure how the fans would take it, but I think Steven Gerrard returning to the club as manager and trying to put things right would be incredible for the club.
"I know they weren’t that happy with him when he left the club, but tasting success against Celtic and winning the Scottish Premiership would surely make up for it.
“I do believe Gerrard loved it up there up until the moment he left, and he would obviously be a good fit given his record with the team at the time."
Sharpe then floated Russell Martin as a potential candidate - who has been out of work since leaving Southampton earlier in the campaign.
He said: “Alternatively, Russell Martin would be a good shout – his Southampton team were playing some decent stuff and it was a shame he lost his job, but I’d personally bring Gerrard back and have a bit of controversy!”
Former Rangers' defender Martin has previously addressed the possibility of stepping into the dugout at Ibrox - and Southampton striker Kamaldeen Sulemana has told potential suitors his former boss will go on to have a "great career."
American tycoon Andrew Cavenagh – who is the driving force behind the Rangers takeover – and 49ers Enterprises will have a big call to make over the hot seat in the summer.
Russell Martin is out of work since leaving Southampton
Russell Martin is out of work since leaving Southampton
And Sulemana told the Daily Echo: "I respect Russell so much, I learnt a lot from him and I think he's going to do great in his career in the way he's playing.
"Maybe I'm not his ultimate style of playing that he wants to play, and that's fair - and you could tell that's why I wasn't playing, I think.
"I don't think it was anything to do with attitude-wise, it was nothing to do with training-wise, it was nothing to do with anything character-wise.
"I think it was more his tactics, it was more who he felt was going to help him. Whether he believed in me or not, that's for him to come out and say.
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"We have respect for each other, we had very good conversations when I wasn't playing and when I played, we have a big respect for each other.