Russell Martin sees off Steven Gerrard to become new Rangers head coach
Russell Martin has signed a three-year contract to become the new head coach of Rangers.
The 39-year-old succeeds interim manager Barry Ferguson, who only took over from Philippe Clermont in February.
The former Southampton, Swansea City and MK Dons manager is expected to bring in assistants Matt Gill and Rhys Owens along with former Rangers defender Maurice Ross, as part of his backroom staff.
Martin saw off competition from former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard and Carlo Ancelotti's son Davide, who was assistant to his father at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid, to be appointed.
Martin said: 'It is a privilege to be named Head Coach of Rangers Football Club at the beginning of this exciting new chapter.
'I know what this club demands. From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history. Now, as I return, I'm determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club.
'I'm here to set standards, work hard and do my very best to earn the respect of the Rangers fans. There's a lot to be done, but the goal is clear: win matches, win trophies, and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of. We want to play with bravery, to take the ball, to be aggressive, and to stand up in the big moments.
'Preparations for pre-season are already underway. I look forward to meeting the players and building a squad that our fans can believe in.'
Rangers recently hired Kevin Thelwell as sporting director and 49ers Enterprises technical director Gretar Steinsson was also involved in the approach to Martin.
Martin's appointment is the first significant decision taken by the US consortium that took control of Rangers last week with Andrew Cavanagh and 49ers Enterprises taking a 51 per cent controlling stake in the club.
Martin would likely have been selected as Leeds United's new head coach had Daniel Farke not gained promotion back to the Premier League. Leeds have a similar ownership structure and thought highly of the former defender.
Martin had also been strongly linked with becoming the new head coach at Leicester City to succeed Ruud Van Nistelrooy following their relegation from the Premier League.
However, the former Rangers defender, who had a brief spell at the club in 2018, making 29 appearances, always retained a strong link with the Scottish club and has decided to accept their offer rather than wait to see whether Leicester can pay off Van Nistelrooy.
Martin's appointment is due to be confirmed on Thursday. Martin was sacked in December by Southampton despite having led them back to the Premier League from which they were then relegated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
France to use UK drama Adolescence to teach teenagers about toxic masculinity
France has followed the UK and the Netherlands in allowing the Netflix drama Adolescence to be used in secondary schools as part of efforts to teach teenagers about toxic masculinity and online harms. The French education ministry will offer schools five classes based on excerpts from the critically acclaimed mini-series, which has provoked a global debate about the impact on young boys of misogynistic content online and on social media. The producer of the series – the second most-watched English-language series ever on Netflix, with more than 140m views as of 1 June – had granted the government the rights for educational use, the education minister, Élisabeth Borne, said. Borne told LCI television the excerpts were 'very representative of the violence that can exist among young people' and would be shown to pupils aged about 14 and older, accompanied by specially developed teaching materials. It was aimed at raising awareness of the problem of 'overexposure to screens and the trivialisation of violence on social networks', as well as the spread of so-called masculinist ideology advocating violence against women, Borne said. Adolescence, which launched on 13 March, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a female classmate after being radicalised by toxic online material such as that posted by the self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate. Netflix made it available to UK secondary schools in April, to accompany teaching resources from a relationships charity, in what Keir Starmer, the prime minister, called 'an important initiative'. The Dutch-speaking province of Flanders in northern Belgium has also begun using Adolescence in secondary schools. 'The series shows how digital influences and loneliness can lead some young people astray when they lack sufficient support,' the Flemish minister for media, Cieltje Van Achter, told the regional parliament. 'It also highlights how adults and teachers are increasingly losing touch with the world of young people. It is important that we support both teachers and young people so that these topics can be discussed.' In the Netherlands, the series is being used in secondary schools after a proposal from the GreenLeft-Labour MP Barbara Kathmann, with materials om social media influencers and peer pressure developed in conjunction with Netflix by a media studies institute. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Kathmann said: 'By showing the series in classes, we can create a safe setting in which to discuss it and the issues it raises, so making teenagers more resilient and preventing them from being sucked into the 'manospere' and its pernicious consequences.' Eppo van Nispen tot Sevenaer, the director of the media studies institute Beeld en Geluid (Image and Sound), said Adolescence was 'the perfect vehicle' to engage young people about 'a world that is completely separate from that of teachers and parents'. Jack Thorne, the series' co-writer, said after its launch it had been made 'to provoke a conversation', adding: 'We wanted to pose the question: how do we help stop this growing crisis. So to have the opportunity to take it into schools is beyond our expectations.'
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Adaptability is really important' - what is Frank's style?
"If people want me to change my approach, it's not going to change," Ange Postecoglou said, external after his Tottenham lost 6-3 at home to Liverpool in the Premier League, his style rarely changed and - despite a more conservative set-up in the latter stages of the Europa League - this sometimes stubborn commitment and lack of a Plan B or C contributed to his dismissal last Tottenham are closing in on Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Postecoglou's replacement - a man who midway through the Bees' second season in the top flight in January 2023 said: "Adaptability or tactical flexibility is something I believe a lot in.""It is really important and something we train a lot on," he added in a long interview with Sky Sports. "First and foremost, I want to win and that's why we are a little bit pragmatic."Later that year, when appearing as a guest on Sky's Monday Night Football, external, Frank broke down his tactical approach for facing the Premier League's best included switching from a 4-3-3 to a 3‑5‑2 defensively, creating overloads with three or four players in wide areas and compacting the central part of the pitch."It's a little bit different between a four and five but the defensive principles are the same," he approach under Frank has been to adapt to the opponent. Non-negotiable foundations, such as a compact mid or low block when defending and highly-planned set-piece organisation, are in place but he prepares his team to switch systems explains how he meets with his coaching and analysis teams at the beginning of the week to set his tactical plan for the specific opponent before introducing it to the players in training in the days before the Postecoglou, Frank is principled in his approach, but has shown greater flexibility in the Premier League than the Australian and less of an ideological this more opponent-specific style will endear him to Spurs fans after Postecoglou's rollercoaster two years remains uncertain, but appointing Frank would signify a switch to a more calculated way of playing in the Premier League.
The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Cristiano Ronaldo drops hint over future after Club World Cup transfer speculation
Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that he will remain at Al-Nassr amid speculation that he could seek a move in order to compete at this summer's Club World Cup. The 40-year-old's future has been up in the air with his contract at the Saudi Arabian club due to come to an end on June 30. He joined the club in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United and has been instrumental in elevating the league's credibility. However, a cryptic social media post suggested that the five-time Ballon d'Or was ready to part ways with the club. Following a 3-2 defeat to Al-Fateh in their final game of the season, which saw Al-Nassr finish third in the league, Ronaldo took to X to say: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all." But now, Ronaldo has backtracked on his earlier statement and seemingly vowed to remain at his current employers. After Portugal's Nations League final victory over Spain last night, which saw Roberto Martinez 's side emerge victorious on penalties, the striker has suggested that his future lies with Al-Nassr. The Portugal captain said: "Future? Nothing will change. Al-Nassr? Yes." Ronaldo extended his goalscoring record against Spain, claiming his 138th international goal in the 61st minute to put Portugal on terms. He was subbed off in the 88th minute and was not involved in the subsequent penalty shootout. He was seen in tears when Ruben Neves scored the winning spot kick as Portugal reigned supreme over their Spanish neighbours, becoming the first team to become two-time winners. After Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the Club World Cup, Fifa president Gianni Infantino proposed the idea of Ronaldo joining a team still involved in the competition. However, it appears Ronaldo has turned various participating teams down, with Argentinian giants River Plate among those who reportedly sent proposals his way. "Some teams reached out to me,' Ronaldo added. 'Some made sense and others did not, but you can't try and do everything. You can't catch every ball."
