Next Rangers manager: ‘Talks ongoing’ to appoint five-time title winner on short-term deal

Rangers are reportedly advancing swiftly with their search for a new manager after dismissing Philippe Clement from his position on Sunday evening. The decision came after a 2-0 loss to St Mirren at Ibrox that left Rangers 14 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

The Ibrox club were also dumped out of the Scottish Cup earlier this month by Queen’s Park - who are currently seventh in the Scottish Championship. The club’s final hopes of winning silverware this season lie in the Europa League after they lost the Scottish League Cup final to Celtic on penalties back in December.

Next Rangers manager latest

According to reports in Scotland from the Daily Record, former Rangers player Barry Ferguson is ‘set’ to be handed a short-term deal to take charge at Ibrox until the end of the season. Talks are said to be ongoing but could be concluded quickly.

The 47-year-old from Hamilton first stepped into management with Blackpool in 2014 as he had a 20-game caretaker spell in charge of the Tangerines, winning three of those, drawing five and losing 12. He took charge of Clyde between June 2014 and February 2017. He was out of work until October 2018 before taking the job at Kelty Hearts, as he remained in the role until May 2021. He took the club into the SPFL for the first time in their history which saw him eyed by a club higher up the Scottish football pyramid.

He joined Alloa Athletic shortly after leaving Kelty Hearts but lasted less than a season as he left in February 2022. He has not held a management role since.

Barry Ferguson’s playing career with Rangers

Ferguson has played 409 games for Rangers, scoring 57 goals and providing 29 assists in two spells with the club. He made his debut with Rangers in 1997 before leaving for Blackburn Rovers in 2003. Blackburn were in the Premier League at the time and paid £7.5m to sign Ferguson, who was also linked with Everton at the time.

Ferguson returned to Rangers for £4.5m in January 2005 and remained at Ibrox until 2009 when he left for England once again, this time joining Birmingham City. He won five Scottish Premiership titles with Rangers, five Scottish Cups and five Scottish League Cups. He was also part of the Birmingham City side that beat Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup final.

Speaking about the club’s search for a manager, Rangers legend Ally McCoist said on talkSPORT on Monday: "It is a good job if you get backed, the recruitment has been shocking, it really has. You look across the city. The one thing you have to do as a Rangers manager, you have got to beat Celtic, if you are a Celtic manager, you have got to beat Rangers. It's relatively simple, to be a success, you have got to beat the other team.

"The gulf between the two clubs, at this moment in time, is massive. So anyone going in there is going to have to take the whole place by the scruff of the neck and give it a right good shake. They are going to have to get backed by new owners, who financially back the new coach.”