Inside Russell Martin's colourful life from Rangers history to Buddhism, Green Party and Lucy Pinder

Daily Record

2 days ago

Rangers target Martin has one of the most interesting back-stories in football
There aren't many more interesting backstories in football than that of Russell Martin.
The man Rangers want to be their next manager comes off the back of a spell with Southampton that saw him achieve the high of promotion to the Premier League – followed by the low of being sacked while rock bottom of the table.
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His coaching background is rooted in an uncompromising belief in his principles. It's his way or the hard way, it's almost Angeball esque, and that's likely what's stood him out in the eyes of the new board at Ibrox.
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His personal life though has even more nuance than his tactics.
He's dating former glamour model Lucy Pinder; he's a member of the Green Party; he's a vegan for health reasons, and he's a student in Buddhism.
All of that is before we dive into his 29 caps for Scotland, and his ill-fated stint at Rangers as a player that might just have taught him a thing or two about the club he is seemingly about to assume charge of.
Here's everything you need to know about Russell Martin.
Russell Martin personal life
One of the most Googled subjects about Russell Martin is his relationship with Lucy Pinder, famous former glamour model once ranked by FHM among the '100 Sexiest Women in the World'. They've been confirmed to be seeing each other since August 2024 after Martin's split with his ex-wife Jasmine Martin, with whom he has three kids.
He had a rough upbringing alongside his three brothers: his father was in and out of prison, abusive to his mother, and had a gambling addiction that saw them lose their home when Martin was a kid,
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While prominent football figures often shy away from politics, Martin has rarely hid his. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, he revealed he'd switched his support to the Green Party after becoming disillusioned with politics.
In 2014, he became a vegan for health reasons after suffering from ulcerative colitis. But after researching it, it became an ethical concern. "I did some research into diet and what could help (the condition)," he said. "But then when you become involved in that it raises your awareness of the ethical side. You actually look at it and think: 'This makes sense'."
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He also advocates for Buddhism, so there's that too!
Martin admits his social consciousness may make him a 'weirdo' in the eyes of some, but isn't remotely fussed. That's much like his approach to football.
Russell Martin tactics and football background
To try and be really dominant with the ball, aggressive, play with purpose, play with ball speed, with good rhythm in the team," is how Martin described his style after taking the Southampton job in 2023.
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He wants to dominate games and won't change that for anybody. You won't see a Russell Martin team play a goal-kick long except in desperate circumstances. It's all about keeping the ball, keeping in control, and staying on top of teams.
If that doesn't work, then he'd rather go down his way than diverge from his principles.
That's worked to his benefit more often than his detriment over the years, but it hasn't been unilaterally successful. He led Southampton back to the Premier League, but in December, he was shown the door after a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham left them bottom of the table with 13 defeats from 16 games.
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It's a style that may suit Rangers for the type of domestic games they've so often struggled with in recent years, but there remains a question mark whether he can adapt it for Europe, or even to take on Celtic toe-to-toe.
Russell Martin's management career so far
It all started for Marin with MK Dons in League One, where he transitioned from a player-coaching role into outright management, and received near instant plaudits for the possession-based football he implemented.
He established them in League One before Swansea came calling in 2021 – and after a good start in South Wales, he was named as a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard when he left Ibrox for Aston Villa.
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He steadily improved things at Swansea, finishing 15th and then 10th in the Championship, before Southampton swooped in June 2023. In his first season, he led them back to the Premier League via the playoffs, but wasn't able to make any real mark on the top flight.
He's been out of work since December and Leicester among other English clubs have also shown an interest in his services.
Russell Martin's Scotland career
Martin was born in Brighton and spent his entire childhood in England, but qualified for Scotland through his Scottish father.
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In 2011, while playing some of the best football of his career for Norwich, he was called up by Craig Levein and was a regular in squads over the next six years, becoming a favourite of Gordon Strachan's racking up 29 caps in dark blue.
His final appearance came against Slovenia in March 2017.
Russell Martin's history with Rangers
The bit Rangers fans may not recall fondly was his ill-fated playing career with the club. He was loaned in in January 2018 in the final stretch of the Graeme Murty era.
He made his debut against Aberdeen that month and scored his only goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Hearts in February, but that was about as notable as it got.
Later that year he was released by Norwich and signed for Walsall in a player-coaching capacity that got him started on his badges and led him to this point.