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The former Liverpool captain is in the spotlight of discussion since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, while the former manager will talk about a possible comeback with the team's leadership.

Those in charge at Rangers have stated that a "comprehensive, thoughtful hiring procedure" is currently underway.

Other candidates will be considered, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?

The mid-forties coach has recently spoken about “remaining goals” in management and disclosed he has begun contacting prospective members for his backroom team.

In a latest audio interview with the former defender, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's short tenure concluded, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I believe that fits me better”.

He added: “If the suitable offer arrives, the right club, the right challenge, and I've assembled my staff, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

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

Over three complete seasons at Rangers, he secured just one trophy – however it proved significant.

Following placements of 13 and nine points after their rivals in his first two campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their first premiership championship in a decade, which just happened to prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.

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

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and fanless grounds.

It remains Rangers' only league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Parkhead.

In his debut campaign the Old Firm results were even, each side earning two home victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the next truncated season, after which Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard remained unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, winning five more and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the identical competition, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their journey ending at the same stage the following season.

What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers?

Aston Villa made an approach in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in fees.

He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – however their city rivals would recover to prevail by the identical gap.

The lure of the English top flight is strong and it could have been seen as the natural progression on a dream return to Anfield at a point when his coaching reputation was high.

“Steven and his backroom staff have made sure that the team is undoubtedly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” commented at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have had a desire to move Rangers forward, to modernise our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”

How Did Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Villa Park.

Up and down results yielded a 14th-place position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage left them 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.

Across 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He moved to the Middle East in summer 2023 when he took over at the Saudi club.

His latest role continued for a year and a half and he moved on with the club sitting in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, only five points clear of the drop zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive experience for me and for my family,” he said in late January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

Those after Rangers experiences may give certain hesitation and the individual may have concerns over taking over a struggling squad, but Gerrard likely has the character to handle such a prominent post.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience could be hard to ignore for an pressured Ibrox board.