London (AFP) – Steven Gerrard confirmed he will hold further negotiations with Rangers over the vacant managerial job at Ibrox on Thursday after “positive” early talks.
Rangers sacked Graeme Murty on Tuesday following Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing at the hands of bitter rivals Celtic that saw Brendan Rodgers’s men seal a seventh consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
“There’s an interest, there’s been initial talks and the plan is to pick them up in a couple of days time,” Gerrard told BT Sport, who he works for as a pundit on top of his duties as Liverpool’s under-18’s coach.
Gerrard will be in Rome on Wednesday as Liverpool aim to reach the Champions League final, holding a 5-2 first leg lead over Roma.
However, on his return to the UK, the former England captain plans to meet once more with the Rangers hierarchy.
“I’ve held positive talks with them. I’m busy for a couple of days now, but the plan is to pick them up on Thursday and we’ll see if we can progress it.”
Rangers said they hope to be able to release details about Murty’s successor “in the near future”.
Assistant coaches Jimmy Nicholl and Jonatan Johansson will take over dugout responsibilities for Saturday’s home game with Kilmarnock, while Rangers chiefs look to lift the gloom currently sitting over Ibrox.
The appointment of Gerrard, whose glorious Liverpool career came to an end when Rodgers was still in charge at Anfield in 2015, would restore some lost glamour to Scottish football.
However, hiring a rookie with no senior managerial experience would represent the latest in a series of gambles by Rangers’ beleaguered board.
The Glasgow giants lie third in the Premiership table with three games of the season remaining, with only goal difference separating them from fourth-placed Hibernian.
Murty took over on an interim basis for the second time in October following the sacking of Pedro Caixinha.
After Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes turned down the chance of a return to Ibrox in December, Murty was then put in charge for the rest of the season.
But two days on from Sunday’s Parkhead mauling, the 43-year-old was called into a meeting with managing director Stewart Robertson to be told he was being sacked.
“Rangers are grateful to Graeme, who did not hesitate when asked last October to become interim manager after the departure of Pedro Caixinha and then, at the turn of the year, when he was offered the role as manager until the end of the season,” the club said in a statement.
“Graeme has had to contend with difficult and challenging circumstances but conducted himself in a thoroughly professional manner. He will take some time to consider his options, which include returning to his role at the Rangers Academy.”
