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Steven Gerrard has been at the center of discussion since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach is set to discuss a potential return with the team's leadership.

Those in charge at Ibrox announced that a "thorough, thoughtful recruitment process" is now underway.

Other candidates will be considered, but if ex Liverpool and England captain is open to a return spell at Ibrox, could the position as good as his?

The mid-forties manager lately spoken about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has started approaching prospective members for his backroom team.

In a recent audio interview with the former defender, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's brief reign ended, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a club that's set to challenge to win because I believe that suits me more”.

He added: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's part of my nature.”

Performance at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired knowledge as a youth development manager at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial role in the summer of 2018.

During three full seasons at Rangers, he won just one trophy – but it was a big one.

After finishing 13 and nine points behind Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their maiden premiership title in a ten years, which just happened to prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.

And he achieved it impressively, with his team unbeaten throughout.

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

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

It continues to be Rangers' only league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Perform?

In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Celtic Park.

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

Two losses to Celtic came in the next truncated season, after which Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in derbies, winning five additional and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four stages of qualifying to reach the main phase of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they advanced to the elimination stage of the same competition, losing out to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their run ending at the same stage the next year.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

The Birmingham club made an approach in late 2021, forking out £4.5m in fees.

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

The attraction of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been seen as the next logical step on a dream return to Liverpool at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have made sure that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” commented at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a desire to move Rangers forward, 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 did not last a year at Aston Villa.

Up and down results yielded a 14th-place finish at the conclusion of season 2021-22 before a 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage placed them in 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

Across 2022, he won only eight of his 31 games, losing 15.

He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.

His most recent role lasted a year and a half and he departed with the team sitting 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

“Overall, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a beneficial journey personally and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we hope.”

These post-Ibrox experiences could cause some pause for thought and the man himself might harbor doubts over inheriting a underperforming team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to handle such a prominent position.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the great Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an pressured Rangers leadership.