Rangers manager candidate 'set to land another job' leaving clear frontrunner for Ibrox position

Rumours of Gerrard’s potential return to Ibrox have intensified this week after one bookmaker suspended betting on him becoming Rangers manager for a second time. The former Liverpool captain is odds-on favourite with several betting firms to become Philippe Clement’s long-term successor after interim head coach Barry Ferguson left the club on Sunday.

Both Gerrard and the second favourite for the Ibrox hotseat - former Rangers defender Russell Martin - are reported to have held talks with the club's incoming new owners, a US consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and investors from the San Francisco 49ers, and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

However, according to the Daily Mail, Martin is set to be appointed the new Leicester City boss this week after reaching an agreement to take over from Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is set to depart after failing to save the club from relegation. Martin has previously won promotion from the Championship as manager of Southampton and will now aim to do likewise with the Foxes as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The major development has cleared a path for Gerrard to complete his stunning return to Rangers. The 44-year-old left Glasgow for Aston Villa in November 2021 after more than three years in charge. He only won one trophy but it was an unbeaten league title triumph that prevented Celtic clinching a record 10 in a row.

Gerrard quit Rangers just three months into the title defence to join Aston Villa in a move which polarised the Ibrox support. His return would also likely split opinion due to his undistinguished record since leaving Glasgow. His reign at Villa Park proved short-lived with poor results leading to his sacking after less than a year in charge, before a move to Saudi Arabia to manage Al-Ettifaq also failed to deliver success and resulted in him leaving his post in January after 18 months at the helm.