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Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of conversation after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach is set to talk about a potential return with the club's owners.

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

Other candidates will be considered, however if the former Liverpool and England captain is open to a second stint at the club, could the position as good as his?

The 45-year-old coach has recently spoken about “remaining goals” in management and revealed he has started approaching potential members for his coaching team.

In a latest podcast discussion with the former defender, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's short tenure concluded, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a club that's set to challenge to win because I believe that fits me more”.

He continued: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's part of my nature.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in Initial Period

Having acquired experience as a academy coach at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching role in the summer of 2018.

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

Following placements of 13 and nine points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first premiership title in a decade, which coincidentally prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.

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 drawback was that it occurred against a backdrop of the pandemic and fanless grounds.

It remains Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?

In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, remaining 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

In his debut campaign the Old Firm honours were even, each side securing two domestic victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

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

After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in derbies, winning five more and tying once.

Rangers progressed through four rounds of qualifying to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the identical tournament, losing out to the German side in the round of 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the following season.

What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers?

Aston Villa made an approach in late 2021, paying £4.5m in fees.

He left Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – but their city rivals would recover to win by the identical gap.

The lure of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been seen as the natural progression on a dream comeback to Liverpool at a point when his coaching reputation was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the club is clearly in a better place today than it was several seasons ago,” commented then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

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

What Was Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard did not last a year at Aston Villa.

Up and down performances resulted in a 14th-place finish at the end of season 2021-22 before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage left them in 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.

Across 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, losing 15.

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

His most recent job continued for 18 months and he moved on with the club placed in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the drop zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive experience for me and for my loved ones,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we hope.”

Those after Rangers experiences could cause some pause for thought and the individual may have doubts over taking over a struggling squad, but Gerrard probably has the character to manage such a high-profile post.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the league trophy since the great Walter Smith. That experience could be difficult to overlook for an pressured Ibrox board.