Russell Martin was on Manchester United's shortlist of potential future managers before his disastrous spell at Rangers, according to a report from The Athletic.
Former Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox rated Martin highly and saw him as a long-term option for the Old Trafford club.
Succession planning at Old Trafford
With Erik ten Hag under severe pressure ahead of the 2024 FA Cup Final against Manchester City, it was Wilcox's job to succession plan for the Dutchman's eventual departure.
A 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola's side at Wembley bought ten Hag a stay of execution, although he was ultimately sacked five months later and replaced by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on a temporary basis before Ruben Amorim was appointed.
But facing the possibility of having to sack ten Hag following that FA Cup clash, Wilcox, along with other senior club officials, put forward a list of potential replacements.
Martin's rise and fall
Martin was one of those and highly rated by Wilcox, having worked under him at Southampton, who Martin guided to English Premier League promotion the day after United won the FA Cup that weekend, at the same stadium.
The Athletic reports that while Wilcox accepted that Martin was not a serious candidate to replace ten Hag, he saw him as having the potential to take over at Old Trafford further down the line.
Martin was sacked by Southampton in December 2024 with just one victory in 16 games and the St Mary's club rooted to the bottom of the table.
Rangers collapse and current role
He then re-emerged at Rangers in June 2025 but his Ibrox tenure could hardly have gone any worse. He was gone after four months, a 1-1 draw at Falkirk after which Martin needed a police escort from the car park proving the final straw.
He has since endured a tough start at Leicester City after their relegation from the Championship. Martin has been tasked with taking the league favourites back to the second tier, but they found themselves in the relegation zone with only three wins from his first eight matches.
The ship has been steadied somewhat after that rocky start to the season, but tenth in the table will need to be improved upon if Martin is to ride out the pressure and last the season.
