Russell Martin appointed Rangers manager on 3 year contract as ex Southampton boss leads 49ers revolution

Daily Record

a day ago

Martin is the man entrusted by the new Ibrox hierarchy to get Gers challenging again
Russell Martin has been appointed as the new manager of Rangers on a three-year deal.
Record Sport exclusively broke the news on Wednesday night that Martin will be officially paraded in the next 48 hours after convincing new chairman Andrew Cavenagh that he was the best man for the job.
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The Englishman has been without a club since getting the sack at Southampton last December, just six months after leading the club back to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs.
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It's believed the ex-Gers and Scotland defender had been in discussions with Leicester City but has knocked back the chance to replace Ruud van Nistlerooy by finalising a return to Govan instead.
The appointment brings the near four-month-long search for a new manager in Govan to an end.
The Light Blues had been without a permanent boss since sacking Philippe Clement at the end of February, with former club captain Barry Ferguson taking on the reins on an interim basis for the remainder of the campaign.
But with 49ers Enterprises completing their takeover of Rangers last Friday, the hunt to get a new man in the dugout was ramped up.
Sweeping changes in the Ibrox hierarchy have also seen Kevin Thelwell appointed as the club's new sporting director, with fellow Everton colleague Dan Purdy also joining Gers as technical director.
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Martin has already had a brief taste of what being at Ibrox is all about, having spent the second half of the 2017/18 season on loan with Gers during his playing career.
The 39-year-old will be keen to get down to business straight away, with Rangers entering the second qualifying round of the Champions League on July 22/23.
It's expected he'll be joined by long term assistant Matty Gill, while former Gers full-back Maurice Ross has also been earmarked for a key role in the coaching staff
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Martin's arrival comes following a major plot twist in talks with rival target Davide Ancelotti, who suddenly appeared to cool on the prospect of making the move from Madrid to Glasgow's south side.
The son of managerial great Carlo appeared to be the frontrunner after holding a series of discussions with Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson, football adviser to the San Francisco 49ers.
But Ancelotti's camp began to stall on a move to Ibrox at the start of this week, with the young coach being lined up by Como as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas - who could succeed Al-Hilal-bound Simone Inzaghi at Inter Milan.
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