Steven Gerrard has become the early front runner to replace Russell Martin in the Ibrox hot seat following the hapless former Southampton bosses dismissal following the club’s worst start to a domestic season since 1978/79 and European humiliation during his 123-day spell at the helm.
Former Liverpool captain Gerrard managed the club from 2018 until late 2021, winning the 2020/21 SPFL Premiership title after an undefeated season in which the club conceded just 13 goals all season – less than double the seven already conceded in seven games under Martin to kick off this campaign.
He departed for English Premier League club Aston Villa in the early stages of the 2021/22 season, with the club sitting atop the league table after 13 rounds of fixtures, reportedly frustrated with a lack of investment and ambition from the previous board.
His spell at Villa Park was unsuccessful after a promising start, and he has since managed Saudi club Al-Ettifaq from 2023 until January this year.
His former first-team coach Michael Beale went on to manage the club for a short spell from late 2022 until 2023 but was sacked after three defeats in the opening seven games of that season.
He has however quickly become the favourite for the now once again available role at Ibrox, rumoured to be set to arrive with a coaching team consisting of former Gers assistant Gary McAllister and former player/coach Jermain Defoe, who played under Gerrard during his first spell at the club, with each making comments in the media swirling the rumour mill about their potential returns to Govan.
It began with McAllister’s comments to Sky Sports yesterday evening, when quizzed on a potential return he said: “We had a wonderful time there [at Rangers]. We really enjoyed our time there. Steven did an amazing job to get that 55th title.
"He's always going to be linked with Glasgow Rangers, he loved his time up there and you never know what can happen."
When pressed on whether he would be welcome to a return with Gerrard, McAllister replied: "You never say never, do you?” Hardly a resounding no.
His comments were echoed by Defoe, who scored 32 goals in 72 games, with the vast majority of those matches under Gerrard, who told TalkSport that if asked to return he’d: “Be straight on that flight or train. I think it's well documented how much I love that football club.
"The boy from the East End, [at the] back end of his career, goes to a club like Rangers. I was a massive Ally McCoist fan when I was a kid.
"I was privileged enough to play for the football club. I understood what it meant to play for the football club and the badge.
"If I had the chance, and I've said it many times, if I had the chance to go to that club in any sort of capacity, for me, it's a no-brainer."
The man himself, Gerrard, appeared on Rio Ferdinand’s ‘Rio Meets’ podcast, and whilst he did not mention a Rangers return directly, the podcast being recorded prior to the departure of Martin, he did say he would be open to a return to management.
The 2005 UEFA Champions League winning captain said: “I think certain jobs and certain clubs would suit my style and the way I like to go about it.
“But I've also got time now where I'm not in a rush where I know the right people that are out there to make me a stronger and a better coach. They're the people I need to find because if I get that the right match with them people around me, I know and I've proved I can be successful as a manager and that's what I'm working on in the background now.
“But I've had five or six interesting phone calls since I stopped in Saudi [Arabia] and I haven't been ready because I haven't got that team set around me and the timing hasn't been right.
“My daughter's just had a baby, I've just become a granddad, I wasn't ready, I haven't got my staff ready. So unfortunately, the opportunities or the phone calls have come at the wrong time if you like.
“But if the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge and I've got my people set, which I will have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.
“There's a part of me that still feels that there's a bit of unfinished business in terms of wanting to go in and face another couple of exciting challenges."
Unfinished business is certainly something that would align with his time at Rangers, and the time certainly seems right for a return, with another chance to topple Brendan Rodgers, the man who ended his long Liverpool career, and his Celtic side.
Other links to the job include former Hearts boss, and former Rangers player Derek McInnes, with Hearts reported to be willing to enter into negotiations for the man they appointed at the end of last season.
Sean Dyche has been ruled out of the running for the job, with other bosses linked to the job including former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, PSV gaffer Mark Van Bommel and St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson.