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The former Liverpool captain is 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 possible comeback with the club's owners.

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

Other candidates are set to be considered, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a return spell at the club, is the job essentially his?

The mid-forties coach has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in management and disclosed he has started approaching prospective staff for his backroom team.

In a latest audio discussion with the former defender, appearing 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 plan to have at some point, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired knowledge as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial position in the summer of 2018.

Over three complete campaigns at Rangers, he won only a single title – but it was a big one.

After finishing nine and 13 points after Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their maiden top-flight title in a decade, which just happened to deny their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row title.

And he did it in style, with his team unbeaten in the process.

Rangers triumphed in all of their domestic games, netted 92 goals and conceded a only 13.

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

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

What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, remaining 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 came in the next shortened season, after which Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, claiming five additional and drawing once.

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

In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their run ending at the same stage the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

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

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

The lure of the Premier League is strong and it may have been viewed as the natural progression on a fairytale comeback to Anfield at a point when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his backroom staff have made sure that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” commented at the time Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.

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

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

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Villa Park.

Inconsistent results resulted in a 14th-place position at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Fulham placed them 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.

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

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

His most recent job continued for 18 months and he departed with the team sitting in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the relegation zone.

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

These after Rangers experiences may give some hesitation and the man himself may have doubts over taking over a underperforming team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to handle such a prominent post.

He is the sole Rangers boss to have won the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.