Steven Gerrard is to hold talks with Rangers over a sensational return to Ibrox, multiple reports have revealed.
The former Liverpool and England midfielder has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in January, and previously enjoyed a three-and-a-half-year stint at Rangers before opting to try his hand at Premier League management with Aston Villa.
That particular venture didn’t go too well, with Gerrard winning just 13 of his 40 games across all competitions before being sacked. But the 45-year-old is favourite to succeed Russell Martin in Glasgow after the Scot’s ill-fated tenure lasted just 123 days.
BBC Sport report that Gerrard is “one of a number of candidates” that Rangers want to talk to, with a commitment made by the club’s hierarchy to conduct a thorough hiring process.
Gerrard’s Rangers Success Could Pave Way for Return
Gerrard, whose extensive Liverpool playing career saw him rack up over 700 appearances in all competitions and lead the club to a fifth Champions League crown in 2005, is highly thought of by Rangers supporters.
He ended Celtic’s nine-year dominance of the Scottish Premiership, winning the title in 2020–21, and is the last Rangers manager to have achieved that feat. Gerrard also helped lay the foundations for the club’s run to the 2021–22 Europa League final, having reached the last 16 stage in each of the two previous campaigns.
When he departed Rangers in November 2021, Gerrard said it had been a huge opportunity to manage “such an iconic club”, and that helping the club win a record-breaking 55th league title would “always hold a special place in my heart.”
Gerrard also spoke of the support he received at Rangers in a recent appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, and hinted that he’d be willing to return to finish off the job he left prematurely.
“I felt like I had [support] to a tee at Rangers. A lot of coach changes at Aston Villa and over in Saudi that I don’t think helped me from a personal point of view,” he said. “I’m now enjoying family time and doing a lot of things that I haven’t been able to do.
“But 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. But I want a certain type of challenge. If in an ideal world they come available, I’ll jump at them. If they don’t, I won’t go back in. I want to be at a team that’s going to compete to win because I think that suits me better.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steven Gerrard in Frame for Sensational Managerial Return.
