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The former Liverpool captain is in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, while the ex-coach is set to discuss a possible return with the club's leadership.

The decision-makers at Rangers have stated that a "comprehensive, considered recruitment process" is now in progress.

Other candidates will be reviewed, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a return spell at the club, could the position as good as his?

The mid-forties coach lately spoken about “unfinished business” in management and revealed he has begun approaching potential members for his backroom team.

In a recent audio interview with the former defender, appearing to be recorded prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a team that's going to challenge to win because I think that suits me better”.

He added: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I will have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

Having acquired experience as a youth development manager at Anfield, Gerrard took on his first managerial position in the mid-year of 2018.

During three full campaigns at Ibrox, he secured only a single trophy – but it proved significant.

Following placements of 13 and nine points behind Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their first premiership championship in a ten years, which coincidentally deny their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row win.

And he did it in style, with his team undefeated throughout.

Rangers triumphed in all of their domestic games, netted 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and empty stadiums.

It continues to be Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Parkhead.

In his debut season the derby results were shared, each side securing two home victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic occurred in the following shortened season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, winning five additional and tying once.

Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to enter the main phase of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the same competition, losing out to the German side in the last 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Leave Rangers?

Aston Villa made an approach in November 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He left Rangers with a lead ahead of Celtic at the top of the table – however their local opponents would claw that back to win by the identical gap.

The lure of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been viewed as the next logical step on a fairytale comeback to Liverpool at a point when his coaching reputation was high.

“Steven and his backroom staff have made sure that the team is undoubtedly in a better place today than it was several seasons ago,” said at the time Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a goal to advance the club, to modernise our facilities and to return the team to winning ways.”

What Was Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard failed to complete a year at Aston Villa.

Up and down results resulted in a 14th-place finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 loss at Fulham placed them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

During 2022, he secured only eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He transferred to the Middle East in July 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.

His latest role continued for 18 months and he moved on with the team sitting in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the relegation zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive journey for me and for my loved ones,” he remarked in late January. “But football is unpredictable, and at times things don't go the way we hope.”

Those after Rangers experiences could cause some hesitation and the individual may have doubts over taking over a underperforming team, but Gerrard likely has the personality to handle such a prominent position.

He is the sole Rangers boss to have won the league trophy since the great Walter Smith. That experience might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.