Steven Gerrard has dramatically ruled out a return to Rangers, making former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl the favourite to succeed Russell Martin at Ibrox. Gerrard, who had travelled from the Middle East to meet with club officials in London, concluded that the time is not right for him to take on the role, dealing a blow to a fan base that had overwhelmingly backed his reappointment.
Rangers had hoped to have a new manager in place before Saturday’s home match against Dundee United, following Martin’s disastrous 123-day stint that ended after a draw at Falkirk. Gerrard was in charge at Ibrox between 2018 and 2021 before leaving for Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, but has been out of work since January.
Röhl, 36, met with Rangers’ American ownership last week and was under serious consideration before Martin was hired in June. His spell at Wednesday was overshadowed by off-field problems, but he has experience as a coach at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, Southampton and the German national team. His lack of involvement in Scottish football is a potential concern for observers.
Sean Dyche, who had earlier been linked with the Rangers job, has also made it clear he is not keen on the position. The Ibrox hierarchy now faces an even greater challenge to win over a disgruntled support.
