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Steven Gerrard is at the center of discussion after Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, and the ex-coach is set to discuss a possible return with the club's leadership.

Those in charge at Rangers announced that a "thorough, thoughtful recruitment process" is currently in progress.

Additional names are set to be considered, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is open to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?

The mid-forties manager has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in coaching and revealed he has started contacting potential members for his backroom team.

In a latest podcast interview with the former defender, which seemed to be recorded prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I think that suits me better”.

He continued: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the right challenge, 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.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

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

During three full seasons at Ibrox, he secured just one title – however it was a big one.

Following placements of 13 and nine points behind Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their first top-flight championship in a decade, which just happened to deny their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.

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

Rangers won all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and empty stadiums.

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

What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

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

In his first campaign the Old Firm results were even, each side earning two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic occurred in the following truncated season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, claiming five additional 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 the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the same competition, being eliminated to the German side in the round of 16, with their journey concluding at the identical round the next year.

Why Did Gerrard Leave Rangers?

The Birmingham club came calling in late 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He departed Rangers four points ahead of Celtic at the top of the standings – but their city rivals would recover to prevail by the same margin.

The lure of the English top flight is powerful and it may have been seen as the natural progression on a fairytale comeback to Liverpool at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

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

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

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

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Villa Park.

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

During 2022, he won just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he assumed control at Al-Ettifaq.

His most recent job continued for 18 months and he moved on with the team sitting in 12th in the Saudi league, only five points above the drop zone.

“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive journey personally and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But football is unpredictable, and at times events don't unfold the way we hope.”

These post-Ibrox exploits could cause some pause for thought and the individual may have doubts over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a prominent post.

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