Ex-Rangers player Kevin Thomson believes Steven Gerrard would be the right man to take the club forward following the departure of Russell Martin.
The former midfielder, who won two league titles, two League Cups, and a Scottish Cup at Ibrox between 2007-2010, insists the 2020/21 Premiership-winning boss is the ideal candidate to get the club back to winning ways.
Rangers are on the hunt for a new manager following the departure of Martin, who was sacked on Sunday after just 17 games with the club languishing in eighth place in the league and two defeats from two in the Europa League.
And Thomson believes Gerrard is the right man to take the reins.
He said: “Steven (Gerrard) is one for me who carries a bit of an edge and a personality, and I think that is really important if you are representing Rangers.
“I think having an edge about you is good as an individual, and I don’t think that is there at the moment.
“When you look at the media, and I’m sure all the media outlets have respect for the individual, but if there are any weak spots, then the media always want to go for the throat, that’s just the way it is.
“I’m not sure many in the media would go for Steven, because he carries that bit of prestige. You could argue that Brendan (Rodgers) may have that money in the bank across the other side of the city as well, whereas I think Russell was always right up against it and on the back foot.
“So, I think whoever comes in will need to have a bit of prestige and that profile to bring back the edge, bring back the soul, and get the fans back on board.
“I know the fans were really split when it came to him leaving, when he upped sticks and went to Villa, and obviously that didn’t quite work out the way he wanted it to.
“I went down and spent a bit of time with him as part of my pro-license, so I know just how good he is.
“I think he would rejuvenate the fans, I think he will split opinion because I do think there are fans out there that will think he has had his opportunity, and think you should look forward and never look back.
“But when I think of the prestige, the character, and the personality that he’s got, he is made for a club like Rangers.”
Thomson said he was “sad” about how it ended for Martin, but admits that the “writing was on the wall” after such a poor start.
He said: “First and foremost, you have to be disappointed on a personal level, because you never want to see anyone lose their job. It has been really difficult to watch from the outside in; the results have been there for everyone to see, and they have been really disappointing in recent weeks.
“The draw against Falkirk on Sunday was just another nail in the coffin really and it was inevitable Russell was going to lose his job.
“It’s sad, because you don’t want to see anyone fail, but ultimately, the writing was on the wall and it could have happened around four or five weeks ago.”
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