logo
There might just be one Rangers manager candidate no one's talking about and it wouldn't surprise me if it came out soon

There might just be one Rangers manager candidate no one's talking about and it wouldn't surprise me if it came out soon

Daily Record5 days ago

It looks like Ancelotti vs Martin but could there be a horse in the race that no-one knows is running?
It looks like Davide Ancelotti vs Russell Martin at this stage – but don't be surprised if someone new emerges from the cold and snatches the Rangers job over the next few days.
That was the warning from our man Scott McDermott on Hotline Live as he teased a 'new name' could come to the fore over the next few days.

The hunt for the next boss at Ibrox has been one full of twists and turns. Interim boss Barry Ferguson was among the early frontrunners, and since then it's veered wildly between Steven Gerrard, Russell Martin and current bookies' leader Davide Ancelotti.

It's all happening against the backdrop of the San Francisco 49ers-backed takeover which only complicates matters further, but the noises suggest the search for the next boss is going on independent of that and could even conclude before the American investment is rubber-stamped.
As for who it will be, our man McDermott, who has been inside the hunt from day one, reckons Ancelotti is the favourite for good reason. But he also wouldn't be surprised if an entirely new name emerged to blow it apart over the next few days.
He said on tonight's Hotline Live: "It would not surprise me if, over the next few days, a new name emerged. Someone that's maybe not been mentioned."

Keith Jackson then followed up: "A horse that no-one knows has been running?" before McDermott continued: "Pretty much. My belief at the moment is that Ancelotti would be the favourite for a variety of reasons.
"This has been so topsy-turvy, so hard to get a handle on, that nothing would surprise me. And if another name emerged in the next couple of days, it certainly wouldn't surprise me."

You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rangers bosses battling to keep three of their top academy stars amid major Premier League interest
Rangers bosses battling to keep three of their top academy stars amid major Premier League interest

Scottish Sun

time26 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Rangers bosses battling to keep three of their top academy stars amid major Premier League interest

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS' new sporting director Kevin Thelwell is battling to keep three of the club's top academy prospects at the club in the wake of major interest from south of the border. The new Gers chief has his work cut out attempting to appoint the club's new boss just now - with SunSport exclusively revealing that Russell Martin is poised to take the job. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 2 Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart Credit: PA 2 The Rangers training centre Credit: Willie Vass But he's determined to keep the best of the club's young talent in the ranks - and that includes 16-year-old attacker Max Cameron. According to a report in the Daily Record, Cameron has come to the attention of Premier League outfit Bournemouth and Championship duo Southampton and Ipswich - but the Gers are hopeful that he will agree a first professional contract with the Gers. And the Ibrox side are also keen to secure the future of Scotland Under-19 call-ups Calum Adamson and Jack Wylie. Midfielder Adamson, who has previously featured for the B team, is out of contract this summer. Brentford and Crystal Palace had shown interest in the youngster but the Ibrox men are keen to keep him at the club. Centre-back Wyllie - who also won a call-up to a recent Scotland Under-19s gathering in Dundee - is also poised to pen a new contract. Menawhile Greek side Aris have been handed an extension by Rangers to try and reach an agreement to sign Ecuadorian flop Jose Cifuentes permanently. The 26-year-old made 29 league appearances for Aris during the season and became one of their key players as he helped them qualify for Europe. The Thessaloniki club originally had until the end of May to turn the loan move into a permanent one, with a £3 million fee as part of the original loan deal. However, they have indicated to Rangers they want to renegotiate a deal to get the Ibrox side to lower their demands for Cifuentes to £2 million. Premier League Darts star Stephen Bunting 'moonlighting as Rangers steward' as incredible Ibrox doppelganger spotted And reports in Greece have stated Rangers have now given Aris until June 15 to reach an agreement exclusively with them, or the deal is off. They are also considering trying to persuade Rangers to extend his loan deal for another season if they cannot conclude a permanent transfer. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

CCTV images released by police after incident at Celtic v Hibs match
CCTV images released by police after incident at Celtic v Hibs match

STV News

time30 minutes ago

  • STV News

CCTV images released by police after incident at Celtic v Hibs match

A search for two men has been launched almost two months after an incident during a Celtic v Hibs match in Glasgow. The incident was reported to police during the Scottish Cup quarter final at Celtic Park on March 9. Officers have released CCTV images of two men they are looking to trace as part of their investigations. Police Scotland The incident happened at the Scottish Cup Quarter Final in Celtic Park in March. Police Scotland The first man is described as being white, in his 30s, and of slim build. He was wearing a light grey jacket, trousers, a grey ski cap, trainers, and a black cross-body bag. The second man is described as white, in his 30s, of medium build, wearing a black jacket, dark green polo shirt, blue jeans, and black trainers. Police constable Aynsley McIntyre, from Greater Glasgow football enquiry unit, said: 'We would urge these men or anyone who knows them to contact us. 'I would also ask anyone who witnessed what happened, or anyone with information relating to the incident, to please speak to officers via 101, quoting reference 1457 of Sunday, March 9, 2025. 'Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

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

Daily Record

time32 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

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

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. ‌ 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. ‌ 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, ‌ 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'." ‌ 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. ‌ 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. ‌ 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. ‌ 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. ‌ 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.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store