Manager linked with Ibrox job was described as ‘exactly what Rangers need’ back in 2018
As Barry Ferguson returned to Ibrox for a third spell – this time as the interim head coach – large sections of the Rangers faithful will have become painfully aware of their own mortality.
It feels like only yesterday that Ferguson, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and particularly Allan McGregor were doing their business on the Ibrox turf.
Now, with the four Rangers legends getting used to their new vantage points in the home dugout, looking to impart their wisdom upon the current generation.
That is the thing with football. You live long enough to see those who used to play the game become teachers for the new wave of talent. It was Steven Gerrard, one of the most iconic midfielders of the 21st century, who secured Rangers their only league title in the last 14 years, after all.
Frank Lampard was linked with the Rangers job himself, while one-time fan favourite Mikel Arteta has been the driving force behind Arsenal’s re-emergence as Premier League title challengers.
Now, with the Glasgow giants on the lookout for a new head coach, a few familiar faces have come up in discussion.
READ MORE: All Philippe Clement Rangers Signings Since 2024
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Russell Martin linked with Ibrox return as Rangers manager
Rangers News have been told that Steven Gerrard has admirers amongst the San Francisco 49ers.
And, while his Ibrox legacy is not quite so glittering, Russell Martin has reportedly been discussed as well, seven years after the former Scotland international played 17 games on loan with the Gers.
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Martin’s brief spell north of the border under Graeme Murty will not be remembered with a great deal of fondness, in truth. Rangers conceded 27 goals in the 17 matches in which the veteran centre-back featured.
Nine of those came via Celtic, while Hibernian also put five past Murty’s side in a remarkable 5-5 draw on a madcap final day.
Gary Holt’s claim that Martin was ‘exactly what Rangers needed’, then, did not age particularly well.
“Russell’s exactly what Rangers need,” Holt, the former Norwich and Scotland midfielder told the Daily Record of a man he worked with at Wycombe Wanderers. “He’s a good talker on the pitch and a leader off the pitch as well as on it.”
Yet, while Russell Martin the Rangers player struggled to make his mark, the prospect of Russell Martin the Rangers manager suggests Holt’s comments may yet take on extra significance all these years later.
The qualities that earned Martin the captain’s armband at Norwich and Peterborough – he became the youngest skipper ever for the latter outfit – are attributes that the 39-year-old has taken into management.
Martin can bring his leadership skills to the Ibrox dugout
“You can bank on him taking responsibility and helping others,” Holt added. “There’s no gamble with Russell as you know what you’re getting; A dedicated and passionate performer. He knows the size and structure of Rangers and is coming from a high level.
“When Norwich won promotion into the Premier League, he was the skipper and led the club up from the Championship. Nobody was in any doubt he was the leader. He can deal with the big crowds. He can deal with expectations. People forget he has been operating in the big time for a large part of his career.
“Russell’s the most disciplined professional I have come across.”
One-time Rangers stalwart Andy Halliday talked up the appointment of Russell Martin recently.
Despite a poor end to his time with Southampton, Halliday feels that the possession-based but free-flowing and free-scoring style which saw The Saints earn promotion back to the Premier League in 2024 is something that would translate well into life at Ibrox.
Any Rangers manager, however, must also have the stature, the self-confidence and the aura to cope with the unrelenting glare of the Glasgow goldfish bowl. Gary Holt certainly had no doubts about his former teammates professionalism, or his ability to act as a leader of men in high-pressure situations.
Martin’s brief spell at Ibrox in 2018 didn’t really go to plan. Seven years on, he might just get the chance to make amends in a very different role.
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