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The former Liverpool captain has been at the center of conversation after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, and the former manager is set to talk about a potential return with the club's leadership.

The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful recruitment procedure" is currently in progress.

Additional names will be reviewed, but if ex Liverpool and England skipper is willing to a return spell at the club, is the job as good as his?

The mid-forties manager has recently spoken about “unfinished business” in management and disclosed he has started contacting potential staff for his backroom team.

In a latest podcast interview with the former defender, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's short tenure concluded, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a team that's going to compete to win because I think that suits me more”.

He added: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've assembled my staff, which I will have at some point, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired knowledge as a youth development manager at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the mid-year of 2018.

During three full campaigns at Ibrox, he won just one title – however it proved significant.

Following placements of 13 and nine points after Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight title in a ten years, which just happened to deny their Glasgow rivals an historic tenth consecutive win.

And he did it impressively, with his team undefeated in the process.

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

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

It remains Rangers' sole league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Parkhead.

In his first campaign the derby results were even, each side earning two domestic victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic came in the following truncated season, after which Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, winning five more and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the knockout rounds of the identical tournament, losing out to the German side in the last 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the next year.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

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

He departed Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the top of the standings – but their local opponents would recover to win by the identical gap.

The attraction of the Premier League is powerful and it may have been seen 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 team 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 goal to move Rangers forward, to update our facilities and to make the club win again.”

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

Gerrard did not last a full season at Aston Villa.

Inconsistent performances resulted in a mid-table position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 loss at Fulham placed them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

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

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

His latest role lasted a year and a half and he departed with the club sitting 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 for me and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

Those after Rangers experiences may give some pause for thought and the individual may have concerns over inheriting a struggling team, but Gerrard likely has the personality to handle such a high-profile position.

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