Steven Gerrard has pulled out of the running to be the next manager of Rangers after deciding the time was not right to return to Ibrox.
The 45-year-old, who won the Premiership title for the Glasgow giants in 2021 before leaving for Aston Villa, held talks in London over replacing Russell Martin over the course of Thursday and Friday.
However, with Daily Mail Sport having reported that he was eager to be given control over transfers should he go back to Rangers, it has emerged that Gerrard has now told chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chair Paraag Marathe that he wishes to step away from the race.
A Rangers delegation also involving sporting director Kevin Thelwell, CEO Patrick Stewart and Gretar Steinsson of 49ers Enterprises have been talking to alternative candidates with former Sheffield Wednesday head coach Danny Rohl understood to be regarded positively.
Gerrard’s family remain based in Bahrain following his ill-fated stint with Saudi outfit Al-Ettifaq and it is understood that was a factor when he spoke with Ibrox chiefs in the summer about the possibility of returning for a second stint as boss.
The former Liverpool and England captain are understood to have ended talks amicably with the door remaining open to forging an alliance again somewhere in the future.
Steven Gerrard has sensationally snubbed a return to Rangers, with the club moving on
Gerrard was expected to return to Glasgow, replacing axed boss Russell Martin
In the meantime, though, Rangers are still eager to settle on their new man during the international break and ahead of the home league game with Dundee United next weekend.
Gerrard’s decision will come as a blow to many supporters keen to see him give it another whirl as boss after he admitted on a podcast hosted his former international team-mate Rio Ferdinand that he felt ready to take up another role in management.
‘There’s a part of me that still feels that there’s a bit of unfinished business in terms of wanting to go in and face another couple of exciting challenges, but I want a certain type of challenge,’ said Gerrard, who resigned as head coach of Al-Ettifaq in January after 18 months at the helm.
‘ I want to be at a team that’s going to compete to win because I think that suits me better.
‘I’ve also got time now where I’m not in a rush, where I know the right people that are out there to make me a stronger and a better coach. They’re the people I need to find – because, if I get the right match with them people around me, I know and I’ve proved I can be successful as a manager.
‘I’ve had five or six really interesting phone calls since I stopped in Saudi and I haven’t been ready because I haven’t got that team set around me.
Gerrard and his family are still based in Bahrain, and he told the club the timing isn’t right
‘My daughter’s just had a baby. I’ve just become a granddad. I wasn’t ready. I haven’t got my staff ready, so, unfortunately, them opportunities or them phone calls have come at the wrong time, if you like.’
It is understood German coach Rohl was also sounded out by Rangers chiefs in the summer prior to the disastrous appointment of Martin. His only job as a club manager was at Wednesday, but he has held down coaching roles at the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig over the course of his career.
He joined The Owls in October 2023, but left Hillsborough during pre-season with the club suffering all kinds of financial issues. The 36-year-old took charge of 89 matches there, recording 34 wins, 21 draws and 34 losses.
They finished 20th in the Championship during his first season and climbed to 12th last term.
