Former captain Barry Ferguson is under consideration as Rangers work to finalise their interim backroom team after sacking Philippe Clement on Sunday.
Ferguson won five top-flight titles, five League Cups and five Scottish Cups during his two spells at Ibrox.
As a manager he has had spells at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic, as well as being Blackpool caretaker.
Ex-players Neil McCann and Billy Dodds have also been linked with being part of the new set-up.
Wednesday 26th February 7:15pm
Kick off 8:00pm
Clement was sacked on Sunday following a home defeat to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership that leaves the club 13 points behind leaders Celtic with 11 games to go.
That result came just weeks after Rangers’ hopes of winning domestic silverware this season were all but ended following a shock 1-0 Scottish Cup defeat at home to Championship side Queen’s Park, with the Gers having already lost the League Cup final to their Old Firm rivals.
Clement does, however, leave with Rangers through to the last 16 of the Europa League.
Coaches Alex Rae and Stephan Van Der Heyden are set to follow Clement out of the club, while Issame Charai – who was appointed around a month ago as Gers assistant manager – took training on Monday.
Charai joined following a spell at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, having previously worked in the Belgian Pro League as an assistant, and as manager of Morocco’s under-23 team, where he led them to the under-23 African Cup of Nations title.
Boyd: Ferguson would bring leadership
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Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd discusses who should be in charge next at Ibrox following the recent sacking of Clement
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd believes his former Rangers team-mate Barry Ferguson would be a good fit:
“I don’t think Rangers are going to tie themselves down to something long-term when this takeover is imminent.
“You look at the bigger picture and you say there’s nothing to play for, I think self pride for a lot of players is important. Do they want to be part of the football club going forward?
“You look at the performances recently and the manager will get the blame, but the players have got to shoulder some responsibility as well.
“One thing Barry [Ferguson] had as a captain is leadership and I think that’s something the football club need right now. Someone to connect with the fans and guide the players through the hard times.”
Clement backed in January, sacked in February
Only last month Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart backed Clement, despite growing pressure from supporters.
The former Manchester United chief – who took up his role in the Ibrox boardroom in December – admitted it would have been “the easy decision” to sack the Belgian following frustration from fans.
He insisted his own time at Old Trafford proved constant managerial change is not effective but did warn Clement results must improve with no “cast-iron guarantees” offered.
Stewart backed Clement again a week after the Queen’s Park defeat but with results not improving enough, Clement has been dismissed.
Rangers are seven weeks into a “root and branch review of the entire football department” which is being led by external experts. Meanwhile, the board are also in talks with the San Francisco 49ers over a multi-million-pound takeover of the club.
In addition to dealing with matters off the field, Stewart must now lead Rangers’ search for their fifth permanent boss since November 2021.
Who could replace Clement permanently?
Former boss Steven Gerrard is available following his exit from Saudi club Al Ettifaq
It is a movie Rangers fans have seen all too often in recent years as the search for a new manager begins.
If the previous four times are anything to go by there will be a lot of names linked. Truth be told, that speculation started months ago.
Steven Gerrard – who led Rangers to their last Scottish Premiership title in 2021 – is now a free agent after leaving his job at Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. The former Liverpool captain was the last manager to win the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 and will be someone fans want to see back at Ibrox, like ex-midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who has impressed at Hajduk Split.
Former treble-winning Gers defender Kevin Muscat was interviewed for the job last time out and will no doubt be in the frame again. Since 2023 he has added to his league title wins in Australia and Japan with a top-flight crown in China at Shanghai Port.
Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat was previously interviewed for the manager’s job
Closer to home, Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes‘ name is always on the lips of supporters. The former Ibrox player once turned the job down in 2017 but continues to attract admirers.
Following their promotion from the Championship, he led Killie to fourth last season and European football, with a top-six finish still on the cards in this campaign despite a tricky start.
Former Gers defender Russell Martin could also be in the frame and is out of work, following his sacking by Southampton last year.
When appointing Clement, former chair John Bennett and ex-CEO James Bisgrove led the search. They described it as a “carefully planned and comprehensive recruitment process”.
This time around, Stewart, Thornton and co know they cannot afford to get it wrong and help the club to break this cycle of continual managerial upheaval.
Rangers’ upcoming fixtures:
- February 26: Kilmarnock (A) – Scottish Premiership, live on Sky Sports
- March 1: Motherwell (H) – Scottish Premiership
- March 6: Fenerbahce (A) – Europa League last-16
- March 13: Fenerbahce (H) – Europa League last-16
- March 16: Celtic (A) – Scottish Premiership, live on Sky Sports
