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Steven Gerrard is in the spotlight of discussion since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach will talk about a possible return with the club's leadership.

The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, considered hiring process" is currently in progress.

Additional names will be considered, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a return spell at the club, could the position essentially his?

The mid-forties coach has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in management and revealed he has started contacting potential staff for his coaching team.

In a recent podcast interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed before Martin's brief tenure concluded, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a club that's going to challenge to win because I believe that fits me better”.

He added: “If the suitable offer arrives, the appropriate team, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at some point, I'll accept that role because it's part of my nature.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired experience as a academy manager at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his first managerial position in the mid-year of 2018.

During three full campaigns at Ibrox, he won just one trophy – but it was a big one.

After finishing nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight title in a ten years, which just happened to prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.

And he achieved it impressively, with his team unbeaten in the process.

Rangers won all of their domestic games, netted 92 goals and allowed a mere 13.

The downside was that it occurred amid of Covid and empty stadiums.

It remains Rangers' only title success since 2010-11.

How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?

In stark contrast to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, remaining 12 games without defeat until his first visit to Celtic Park.

In his first campaign the Old Firm results were shared, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the following truncated season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, winning five more and drawing once.

Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to enter the main phase of the European competition in Gerrard's debut season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the elimination stage of the identical competition, losing out to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their run ending at the same stage the next year.

What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers?

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

He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table – however their local opponents would claw that back to prevail by the identical gap.

The lure of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been seen as the next logical step on a dream return to Liverpool at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the club is undoubtedly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” commented at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a desire to move Rangers forward, to modernise our facilities and to make the club win again.”

How Did Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?

Gerrard did not last a full season at Villa Park.

Inconsistent performances yielded a mid-table position at the end of season 2021-22 before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage placed them 17th in October 2022 when he was dismissed.

During 2022, he secured only eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He moved to the Middle East in summer 2023 when he took over at the Saudi club.

His latest job continued for 18 months and he departed with the team sitting 12th in the Saudi league, only five points clear of the drop zone.

“In summary, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a beneficial experience for me and for my loved ones,” he said in the end of January. “But soccer is uncertain, and at times things don't go the way we want.”

These post-Ibrox experiences could cause some hesitation and the individual may have concerns over inheriting a struggling team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a prominent position.

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