Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney and his former England teammate Steven Gerrard are reportedly in a head-to-head race to become the next manager of Rangers, one of Scotland's most successful football clubs. This comes as the current boss, Philippe Clement, faces increased scrutiny following a series of disappointing performances.
The Glaswegian giants have been underperforming recently. Their hopes for silverware in the league are fading fast with arch-rivals Celtic leading them by 13 points on the table. The recent knockout from the Scottish Cup by Queen's Park at Ibrox has only added fuel to this fire.
While still competing in the Europa League, their chances for European glory appear slim given that they're up against formidable teams like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Lyon. If Rangers decide to sack Clement it would reportedly cost them £1.2 million - a hefty price that potentially rules out any hope of swooping a manager from an existing club.
Potential successors
According to market, out-of-work managers are currently leading the way to replace Clement. Steven Gerrard is currently favoured with odds at 2/1 having previously led Rangers to victory in the Scottish Premiership during his tenure between 2018 and 2021.
Wayne Rooney is also considered a strong contender priced up at 5/1 alongside Russell Martin (3/1) and Sean Dyche (4/1). Since being sacked by Championship side Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve, Rooney has been searching for his next role making him available for this potential opportunity.
From striker to pundit to manager?
Rooney’s career move has been uncertain since losing his job in Devon but he hasn't strayed far from football. The former striker has been doing punditry work on the Stick to Football podcast alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher. He also recently made his debut as a pundit on Amazon Prime during Manchester City's Champions League match defeat to Real Madrid.
The race for the managerial position at Rangers is heating up with two of England's most iconic footballers in contention. Whether it will be Rooney or Gerrard taking over the reins at Ibrox remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear - whoever takes over will have a significant task ahead in turning around Rangers' fortunes.
