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Steven Gerrard is in the spotlight of conversation after Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, and the ex-coach will discuss a potential comeback with the club's leadership.

The decision-makers at Ibrox have stated that a "thorough, thoughtful hiring process" is now in progress.

Other candidates are set to be considered, however if the former Liverpool and England captain is willing to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?

The mid-forties manager lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in management and revealed he has begun contacting potential staff for his coaching team.

In a recent podcast interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's short tenure ended, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I believe that fits me more”.

He added: “If the right call arrives, the right club, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I will have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint

After gaining knowledge as a academy coach at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his first managerial position in the mid-year of 2018.

During three complete seasons at Rangers, he won only a single trophy – but it was a big one.

After finishing 13 and nine points after Celtic in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first top-flight title in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Old Firm rivals an historic tenth consecutive win.

And he did it in style, 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 came amid of the pandemic and empty stadiums.

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

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

In his debut campaign the Old Firm results were shared, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the following shortened season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

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

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

In the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the same competition, being eliminated to the German side in the last 16, with their run ending at the identical round the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Leave Rangers?

Aston Villa made an approach in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in fees.

He departed Rangers four points ahead of Celtic at the top of the standings – however their city rivals would recover to prevail by the identical gap.

The attraction of the Premier League is powerful and it may have been viewed as the natural progression on a dream comeback to Anfield at a time when his coaching reputation was at its peak.

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

“We have had a desire to move Rangers forward, to modernise our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”

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

Gerrard did not last a year at Aston Villa.

Inconsistent performances yielded a mid-table finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.

During 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 a year and a half and he departed with the club sitting in 12th in the Saudi league, just five points above the drop zone.

“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial journey for me and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we hope.”

Those post-Ibrox experiences could cause certain hesitation and the individual may have concerns over taking over a underperforming squad, but Gerrard likely has the character to manage such a prominent position.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience could be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.