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The former Liverpool captain has been in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach will talk about a potential comeback with the team's leadership.

Those in charge at Rangers announced that a "thorough, thoughtful hiring procedure" is now in progress.

Other candidates will be reviewed, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is open to a return spell at the club, could the position essentially his?

The 45-year-old manager lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and disclosed he has started contacting prospective staff for his backroom team.

In a recent audio interview with the former defender, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's short tenure ended, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a team that's set to compete to win because I think that suits me better”.

He added: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I will have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's part of my nature.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

After gaining experience as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial role in the summer of 2018.

During three complete seasons at Rangers, he secured only a single title – however it was a big one.

After finishing nine and 13 points after their rivals in his initial pair of seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight championship in a decade, which just happened to deny their Glasgow rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row win.

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

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The drawback was that it occurred against a backdrop of Covid and empty stadiums.

It continues to be Rangers' sole title success since 2010-11.

How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

In his first season the derby honours were even, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the following truncated season, followed by Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

After that, Gerrard remained undefeated in derbies, winning five additional and tying once.

Rangers progressed through four stages of preliminaries to enter the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's debut season.

In 2019-20, they advanced to the knockout rounds of the same competition, being eliminated to the German side in the last 16, with their run concluding at the same stage the next year.

What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers?

The Birmingham club came calling in late 2021, forking out £4.5m in fees.

He left Rangers four points ahead of Celtic at the top of the table – however their local opponents would recover to win by the identical gap.

The lure of the English top flight is powerful and it may have been viewed as the next logical step on a fairytale return to Anfield at a time when his coaching reputation was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the team is undoubtedly in a better place today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a desire to advance the club, to modernise our facilities and to return the team to winning ways.”

How Did Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard did not last a full season at Villa Park.

Up and down results resulted in a mid-table finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

Across 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He transferred to the Middle East in July 2023 when he assumed control at Al-Ettifaq.

His most recent job lasted 18 months and he departed with the club placed 12th in the Saudi league, just five points above the drop zone.

“In summary, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a beneficial journey personally and for my family,” he remarked in the end of January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

These after Rangers exploits may give some hesitation and the man himself might harbor concerns over taking over a struggling squad, but Gerrard likely has the personality to handle such a prominent post.

He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the league trophy since the great Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.