Could Steven Gerrard be poised to return as Rangers manager?
Well, according to widespread reports, including from Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, the Liverpool legend is amongst the front-runners to be re-appointed this summer.
Gerrard has been out of work since being sacked by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in January, with Jamie Braidwood of the Independent noting that he was regularly ‘met with boos and jeers’ by the club’s supporters for many months before his dismissal.
Nevertheless, the Englishman is significantly more popular in Govan, having been in charge for 192 matches between July 2018 and November 2021, winning 124 of them, leading the Gers to their only Premiership title since 2011.
With 49ers Enterprises, led by Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, set to complete their 51% takeover of Rangers this summer, this is certainly an attractive job for someone to take on, and the investors, who plan to ‘inject additional capital’ into the club, could tempt Gerrard to return.
Next season will start early for Rangers, considering they will commence Champions League qualifying on 22/23 July, hence why they’ll be determined to get their managerial appointment and summer signings done early, so here is a potential dream lineup, should Gerrard choose to return.
1 GK – Liam Kelly
Up until very recently, Jack Butland had been Rangers’ undisputed number one goalkeeper, starting 88 of 94 Premiership or European matches between August 2024 and last month.
However, after a string of high-profile errors, Butland has been dropped to the bench by Barry Ferguson, with Liam Kelly getting the nod for the last four matches, including both legs of the Europa League tie against Athletic Club, notably brilliantly saving Álex Berenguer’s penalty at Ibrox.
At previous club Motherwell, for whom he made 154 appearances, Kelly proved he is a top-class goalkeeper, stating back in December that he fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition by making his Rangers debut, and the 29-year-old has done nothing so far to suggest he is not capable of donning the gloves long-term.
2 RB – James Tavernier
James Tavernier is unquestionably a Rangers legend, having now made 509 appearances for the Light Blues, only ten men have ever appeared more for the club, scoring 130 goals and providing 141 assists, remarkable statistics considering he is a full-back.
The captain has come in for widespread criticism this season, with Rangers legend Kris Boyd noting that “everybody goes on about the captain”, before refusing to blame Tavernier for the club’s miserable season.
So, potentially set to be reunited with Gerrard, for whom he starred, we believe now is not the time to move on Tavernier.
3 CB – John Souttar
Few players have been as unlucky when it comes to injuries as John Souttar, but this has certainly been his best campaign in a Rangers jersey, both in terms of availability and performance, notably missing only two of 14 UEFA competition fixtures.
The Scotland international is out of contract in the summer, with talks ‘on hold’ due to the club’s impending ownership change, but Souttar himself says that he hopes this is resolved soon, and his displays certainly merit an extension.
4 CB – Hjalmar Ekdal: new signing
Alongside, given that Leon Balogun is 36-years-old, Robin Pröpper has been very underwhelming and neither Clinton Nsiala nor Rafael Fernandes have offered very much, Rangers require a new signing at centre-back.
Well, according to a report by Anel Avdić of SportExpressen, this could be Burnley’s Hjalmar Ekdal. After not seeing a single minute of EFL Championship action for the Clarets, unable to displace either CJ Egan-Riley or Maxime Estève, the 26-year-old joined Groningen on loan in January, for whom he has impressed, starting their last ten Eredivisie matches.
Considering he’ll want to get back into Sweden’s squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup, Ekdal will likely be seeking a permanent move away from Burnley, so a switch to Glasgow, potentially linking up with Gerrard, would surely be appealing.
5 LB – Rıdvan Yılmaz
Summer signings Rıdvan Yılmaz and Jefté have seemingly been under a timeshare agreement for Rangers’ left-back spot this season but, of the two, it’s certainly the Turkish international who has impressed the most.
Before being appointed interim manager, Ferguson stated that the “little man has made a huge impression”, particularly impressed by Yılmaz’s output in the final third.
During Gerrard’s first spell, much of his success revolved around the attacking quality of full-backs Tavernier and the now departed Borna Barišić, meaning Yılmaz certainly fits the profile of what Gerrard would be searching for.
6 CM – Nicolas Raskin
Nicolas Raskin has been named both Rangers’ Player of the Year as well as the Players’ Player of the Year, stating that these individual accolades “mean the world” to him, fully deserving of this recognition, having been the club’s standout performer.
The 24-year-old has been a stalwart for the Light Blues this season, making 44 appearances, scoring during the win at Parkhead in March, and then becoming a full Belgian international a week later, debuting against Ukraine.
In an otherwise bleak campaign, Raskin has been one of Rangers’ best players, so they should certainly build around him.
7 CM – Mohamed Diomandé
Mohamed Diomandé and Raskin have formed quite a formidable partnership, with the Côte d’Ivoire international making 50 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and registering eight assists.
Ivory Coast manager Emerse Faé praised the 23-year-old’s “great season” in Glasgow, hence why he featured in both of les Éléphants’ World Cup qualifiers last month, so this midfield duo should certainly remain at the heart of Rangers’ rebuild.
8 RW – Václav Černý
Rangers’ most-productive attacker this season has been summer signing Václav Černý, scoring 17 goals and registering seven assists, netting six times in the Europa League, a tally only bettered by Kasper Høgh of Bodø/Glimt and Olympiacos’ Ayoub El-Kaabi.
The only problem for Rangers is the fact that Černý is only on loan from Wolfsburg, so they may have to spend big just to keep the Czech international in Govan.
Well, according to a report by Mark Walker of the National, the Bundesliga side would be willing to sell for £6.75m, which is obviously a lot of money for Rangers, but the 27-year-old has proved he is more than worth it.
9 CAM – Gio Reyna: new signing
During his two-year spell at Rangers, USA international Claudio Reyna played alongside future Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and would actually go on to name his son after the Dutch full-back.
Well, fast-forward 22 years and that son Gio Reyna is also a U.S. international, but one searching for a new club, having seen a miserly 603 minutes of action for Borussia Dortmund this season, out of contract with die Schwarzgelben in 12 months or so.
Well, according to recent reports, Gio – who is valued at £12m by Football Transfers – could follow in his father’s footsteps by moving to Ibrox, available for a cut-price deal, as Dortmund seek to move on the injury-prone forward.
Reyna’s creativity and attacking output could be exactly what Gerrard is looking for from a player in this position, while the American needs to join a club where he’ll be the main man, so this move could work for all parties.
10 LW – Ianis Hagi
Another injury-prone, mercurial attacker with a famous father, already at Rangers is Ianis Hagi, scoring five goals and providing seven assists since being reintegrated into the first team following a long-term injury in November.
Hagi, like Souttar, is out of contract in June, but he unquestionably played his best football in a Rangers jersey under Gerrard, so could his return convince both the club and the Romanian international himself to stay?