Veteran EFL boss Neil Warnock was spotted in the Ibrox stands on Sunday afternoon as Rangers welcomed Celtic for the final Old Firm derby of the Scottish Premiership season – sparking fresh speculation about his managerial future.
With Rangers unable to stop their city rivals lifting a fourth straight league title last weekend, Barry Ferguson’s side were still out to make a statement in front of a packed Govan crowd.
A chance to record consecutive wins over Celtic added extra edge to a fixture that refuses to lose its bite – even with a 17-point gap separating the sides before kick-off.
But it wasn’t just the drama on the pitch that caught attention. The Sky Sports cameras zoomed in on one of football’s most recognisable faces, as former Aberdeen manager Warnock was pictured in the main stand, pen and pad in hand.
“Former, briefly, Aberdeen manager Neil Warnock is in the stands watching the game,” observed Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker. “Neil probably pushing himself for the Rangers job, I wouldn’t be surprised. He would certainly fancy it.”
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Co-commentator and Celtic hero Chris Sutton added, “There’s maybe an element of truth in that!”
It’s not the first time Warnock has been seen at Ibrox this season – he also took in a win over Hibernian earlier in the campaign. The 76-year-old has not officially retired from management following his short stint as Aberdeen boss in early 2024, and remains open to opportunities.
With a proposed 49ers Enterprises takeover looming – the same group that owns Leeds United – questions around who might lead Rangers into a new era are intensifying. Interim boss Barry Ferguson is in the hotseat for now, but Warnock’s presence won’t have gone unnoticed.
Warnock, who famously led eight clubs to promotion in England, has long held a soft spot for Rangers.
In a 2022 interview with the Sunday Mail, he revealed: “I had a couple of chats with one or two people at Rangers over the years about being manager. But it was just never the right time… I just loved Ibrox. My mate Stuart is a season-ticket holder at Rangers and he took me to my first game. From the car park outside, looking at that stadium, I was absolutely gobsmacked… I was a Rangers man then.”
His admiration for the club dates back years, fuelled by his friendship with former Rangers midfielder and manager Stuart McCall.
"When he was manager there for a short spell, I actually thought he might have got me in with him. I felt he needed a bit of experience beside him at that time but it didn’t happen," Warnock shared.
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Supporters were quick to react on social media to the sight of Warnock scribbling notes during the game.
“Seeing Neil Warnock in the stands reviewing a notebook gives me the absolute fear…” one fan posted on X.
“Neil Warnock for manager? 👀” wrote another.
A third joked: “What is Neil Warnock doing there with a pen and pad?”
