Steven Gerrard walked away from talks to become the next Rangers head coach on Saturday, but why?
The 45-year-old was the fans’ favourite to replace Russell Martin – but Sky Sports News revealed that timing was a factor for the former Liverpool captain.
For Rangers, the search went on as they worked through a list of options, with Kevin Muscat the frontrunner for the job.
That follows former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl pulling out of the race after he impressed in talks with the club.
Here, Sky Sports look at the reasons for Gerrard to withdraw from discussions over an Ibrox return, what comes next for the club and more…
Why did Gerrard’s talks with Rangers end?
Gerrard led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021
Gerrard’s previous spell as Rangers head coach was a successful one – winning the Scottish Premiership in 2021 and stopping Celtic from clinching 10-in-a-row – and he was always open to discussions as he still holds a great affinity for the club and its fanbase.
He thoroughly enjoyed his time in Glasgow but still feels there is an element of unfinished business.
The former Aston Villa and Al Ettifaq boss flew to London on Wednesday night to meet the Rangers hierarchy.
However, his personal situation – and Rangers’ current predicament – meant that it wasn’t going to be a straightforward conversation. For one, he still lives in Bahrain with his family.
Discussions on Thursday were described as “constructive” and even progressed further on Friday, with Gerrard sounding out Gary McAllister, Jermain Defoe and Steve Holland as his potential backroom team – were he to be offered the job.
It is fair to assume there would be assurances from Rangers that any new boss would get funds to add to the squad in coming transfer windows. However, the fact is the club’s board and owners would expect Russell Martin’s successor to deliver more with the current squad, which was built over the summer.
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A look at how Russell Martin’s 123-day tenure at Ibrox went
Around £34m was spent but Rangers failed to reach the Champions League, lost their opening two Europa League games and are eighth in the Scottish Premiership – 11 points off leaders Hearts and nine behind rivals Celtic.
Despite those talks between Gerrard and Rangers being open and constructive, the timing for this project was not right for him.
Gerrard is said to have been impressed with the owners and their plans for Rangers, and he would welcome talks with the club in the future.
There was speculation again this week that talks had been reopened, with Gerrard becoming a frontrunner with bookmakers, but Sky Sports News can confirm no fresh talks are taking place with the 45-year-old.
Who is taking the team for now?
Steven Smith will lead Rangers training as the search for a new boss goes on
Martin’s assistant Matt Gill and first-team coach Mike Williamson were also dismissed from Ibrox after just 123 days.
Rangers under-19 coach Steven Smith – who had two spells at Ibrox as a player – is overseeing the team for now and will be in the dugout on Saturday as Rangers host Dundee Utd in the Scottish Premiership.
He has been joined by B team coach Brian Gilmour, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and head of performance Rhys Owen at training since Martin’s exit.
So what now for Rangers?
Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat is in the race to become the club’s head coach
It is clear Rangers want another ‘head coach’. In 153 years, Martin was the first to take up that title in a permanent capacity. Prior to that, 19 permanent ‘managers’ had been in charge at Ibrox.
There is a structure off the field which Rangers are building, led by CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. The right candidate must be able to thrive within that.
Sporting director Kevin Thelwell, CEO Patrick Stewart, vice chairman Paraag Marathe and chairman Andrew Cavenagh have held talks with candidates in London
Former treble-winning defender and current manager of Chinese club Shanghai Port, Muscat, is holding more talks after emerging as the frontrunner for the Rangers job.
It is thought that the process to replace Martin is within its final stages now, with the 52-year-old Australian and his club locked in discussions amid their own title race in China.
Muscat’s side are two points clear at the top of the table, with the last of their four remaining league games scheduled for November 22.
If compensation between the clubs and personal terms with Muscat are agreed, his current situation could mean he can’t depart for Ibrox until Shanghai Port’s title race concludes.
Rangers could then appoint an interim boss, with Neil McCann under consideration to take the reins temporarily before joining Muscat’s backroom team upon his arrival.
Kevin Muscat played alongside Neil McCann during his season at Rangers
Muscat and McCann played together at Ibrox during Muscat’s only season at Rangers, as the club won a domestic treble in 2002/03.
McCann, who has been working on Sky Sports’ Scottish Premiership coverage during this campaign, was part of Rangers’ interim setup last season under Barry Ferguson.
Muscat – who lost out on the Rangers job in 2023 to Philippe Clement – has won silverware as a boss in Australia, Japan, and China and is understood to have impressed the Rangers hierarchy.
Aside from Gerrard, who else was in the mix?
Danny Rohl impressed Rangers after holding talks over the job but has since pulled out
Danny Rohl – who was sounded by Rangers before they appointed Martin – was another option under consideration. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss was thought to have impressed Ibrox officials during talks but he withdrew from the race on Wednesday.
While he was keen to take over at Ibrox this week, it is believed he was aware others were ahead of him in the race.
The 36-year-old led Sheffield Wednesday to a 12th-placed finish in the Sky Bet Championship in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.
Previously an assistant manager at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and with the Germany national team, he had steered Wednesday out of relegation trouble the previous campaign.
Rangers had also sounded out the likes of ex-West Ham manager Graham Potter, former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and Bo Svensson who was last at Union Berlin.
Ibrox chairman Andrew Cavenagh – who led the US takeover of the club in the summer – and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe promised a “rigorous, thoughtful recruitment process” to find Martin’s successor.
They have been leading talks alongside 49ers Enterprises technical director Gretar Steinsson, Gers CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell,
While initial negotiations were in London, Cavenagh and co are back in America, with Thelwell and Stewart in Glasgow and Muscat in China – meaning time zones are adding a layer of complication to the process.
Rangers’ upcoming fixtures
Dundee United (h) – Scottish Premiership – SaturdayBrann (h) – Europa League – October 23Kilmarnock (h) – Scottish Premiership – October 26Hibernian (a) – Scottish Premiership – October 29 – live on Sky SportsCeltic (n) – League Cup semi-final – November 2
