A former Rangers star has admitted he “would love to see” Steven Gerrard return to Ibrox, should Philippe Clement’s tenure come to an end.
Pressure Mounts on Clement
Rangers have endured a disappointing start to their Scottish Premiership campaign, losing three of their first ten matches. This poor form has left them trailing rivals Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points, raising doubts over Clement’s long-term future.
Despite the league struggles, Clement’s side managed to secure a vital 1-0 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, setting up a high-stakes final against Celtic. However, questions about his future persist, with speculation mounting over potential successors.
According to sources close to Clement in Belgium, the manager retains the backing of the Rangers board.
Speaking before the Motherwell game, Clement revealed he had not held discussions with interim chairman John Gilligan or other directors regarding his position.
“I didn’t have discussions about that,” he admitted.
“In the last couple of weeks they’ve been really busy with a lot of other things in the club.
“I’m very confident about that because that was also the really clear message to step in a story for a longer term. They knew everything about the numbers, about what was necessary… It’s about small margins like last season, taking those margins and making it better, better again.”
Gerrard Linked with Ibrox Return
Amid the speculation, Steven Gerrard has been touted as a possible replacement. Gerrard, who led Rangers to their historic 55th league title in 2021, is currently managing Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia but finds himself under pressure following inconsistent results.
Former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield, who played under Gerrard, expressed his enthusiasm for a potential return during an appearance on The Scottish Football Social Club.
“I would love to see it,” Arfield said.
“I wouldn’t like to see Philippe Clement lose his job because he obviously really cares about it. Every interview, every time he speaks, he speaks so passionately.
“But knowing Steven Gerrard, I would love to see him come back. Some people say never go back to what was amazing but I think with an icon and a man of that profile, once they get back in the hot seat at Rangers, then I think it’s going to be extremely difficult to say no to that.”
Why Celtic fans would be Afraid of his Appointment:
During Steven Gerrard’s tenure as Rangers manager from June 2018 to November 2021, he faced Celtic 13 times across all competitions, achieving 7 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses.
This record reflects a significant improvement in Rangers’ performances in the Old Firm derby during his leadership.
Notably, Gerrard’s Rangers ended Celtic’s nine-year dominance by clinching the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020-2021 season, finishing the league campaign unbeaten with 32 wins and 6 draws.