Latest news with #StevenDavis
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Russell Martin can conjure Rangers winning formula if he's learned one thing from Southampton insists Steven Davis
Steven Davis is confident Russell Martin can come up with a winning formula at Ibrox - so long as he learns from his failed Premier League experiment. The former Southampton boss is back for another crack at management six months after being sacked by Saints. Advertisement The bold passing philosophy that swept the South Coast outfit to promotion to the English top flight was quickly torn apart by their merciless rivals. READ MORE: Kris Boyd makes Rangers transfer plea as trio singled out to lead Russell Martin's Ibrox revival READ MORE: Conor Coady lands Rangers transfer side hustle as FIFA World Club Cup beckons for Ibrox target A savage run of defeats cost Martin his job but ex-Gers skipper Davis is certain the new Ibrox gaffer will have learned his lessons. Davis - a four-time league himself winner at Ibrox - said: "I'm very hopeful Russell will be successful. Ultimately, that's what we all want, a successful Rangers competing for trophies and winning regularly. Hopefully Russel and his staff can bring that to the club. Advertisement 'He's obviously very straightforward in terms of how he wants to work. 'He's got a philosophy and a culture that he wants to implement. I think that'd be a good thing. 'I've watched quite a few Southampton games when he was manager there. Steven Davis during Rangers interim boss stint 'They obviously did really well in the Championship, maybe not quite so well in Premier League, but he's learned from those experiences. 'He'll be in a better position going into the job at Ibrox, so I'm very hopeful that he can be successful.' Martin has a huge job overhauling an Ibrox squad that proved to be miles off the Premiership pace last term. The former MK Dons and Swansea manager has insisted his team will put up a better fight than the one which crawled home a massive 17 points behind Brendan Rodgers' swaggering Celtic. Advertisement He stopped short, however, of making a title declaration as he gave a nod to the scale of the task awaiting him. Davis reckons the Ibrox legions will understand how big a job the new boss faces - but warned that patience will only last so long. He grinned: 'Unfortunately patience isn't a word used in Glasgow! 'I think everybody going into their roles will know the demands that are going to be on the players and the club to try and get that success as soon as possible. 'I think they're capable of doing it. Celtic have been pretty strong in the last few years, but I don't think that the gap should have been what it was anyway. Advertisement 'Rangers have shown in the Old Firm games last season that they can compete — but it's getting that consistency. 'Hopefully they can start the season well. It's such a big thing, the psychology and the freedom within the group, as soon as you start to get that confidence and belief in the tea then it can take you far. "The expectancy will be for Rangers to dominate the ball in the majority of games in the league. 'But it's what you do with that possession, and that'll be his focus in terms of how he can get into areas where the team can create chances to score - but also with having that balance of the defensive side of things as well. Advertisement 'All the experiences Russell has gained in his short managerial career will benefit him — you're always better for the experience you have, good or bad. "You learn from it, and you adapt as you go along, and you try to become better.' Rangers newly appointed head coach Russell Martin -Credit:PA Davis has tasted the sedate life Martin enjoyed at Southampton during his own six-and-a-half year stint at St Mary's. But that was nothing like the madness he faced during two spells in Glasgow. Martin had a brief taste of that frenzied working atmosphere himself during a four-month stint as a Rangers defender - and Davis reckons that will do him the world of good as he gets his feet under the table. Advertisement 'The pressures are much more in this city,' he said. 'When you go to Rangers, you have to embrace that side of things. If you don't it can swallow you up. 'But Russell knows what he's stepping into. He's got that short-term experience that he's had at the club, and that'll really benefit him going into the job. 'It's very hard to speak about Rangers and Celtic until you actually experience it yourself. 'Thankfully, Russell's got that experience. He only had it for a short period but he's had that experience and he can bring that knowledge with him, which is positive.' :: Davis was speaking as he helped promote 10 Years On - a celebratory event taking place at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 2, 2026, marking next year's anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rangers miss out on Demircan as English & French clubs circle for Igamane
Turkey Under-21 winger Emirhan Demircan has rejected Rangers, Besiktas and Hoffenheim after his contract ended with Bayern Munich and has agreed a deal and undergone a medical with Utrecht. (Fabrizio Romano on X), externalHamburg have joined the race to sign Westerlo forward Matija Frigan and are willing to launch an £8.5m bid that would put Rangers out of the running. (Daily Record), externalNew Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic could make Westerlo striker Matija Frigan one of his first acquistions. (Novilist), externalBrentford, Everton, West Ham United, Lens, Lille, Rennes, and Strasbourg are all tracking 22-year-old Rangers striker Hamza Igamane. (TeamTalk), externalFormer Rangers midfielder Steven Davis, currently on Northern Ireland's coaching staff, says he has not given up on his dream of managing the Ibrox club some day. (The National), externalLiverpool are in talks with former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst to become their assistant head coach. (TalkSport), externalMitchel White has joined Liverpool from Rangers as a first-team physical performance coach. (Glasgow Times), externalRead the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.
Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Steven Davis still harbours Rangers manager dream as fairytale Ibrox reunion rumours set straight
The Northern Ireland number two had a brief stint as Gers interim boss in 2023 Steven Davis has come to terms with the fact he didn't get to wave goodbye to Rangers with his boots on. But the former Light Blues skipper isn't ready to give up yet on his dream of stepping back over the Ibrox threshold one day wearing a pair of managerial brown brogues. It's two-and-half years since the Northern Irishman kicked his final ball for the club he loves. A freak ACL tear suffered in training just before Christmas 2022 ended what was a glittering playing career for club and country. Despite the four-time Scottish title winner's best efforts, there was no fairy-tale comeback nor a chance to bid farewell to the Gers support from the pitch he had graced so elegantly over two spells in Glasgow. That might have stung the 40-year-old once upon a time but these days he's accepted the rotten luck that brought the curtain crashing down on his spell as British football's most capped player ever. Now working as an assistant to NornIron boss Michael O'Neill, he's looking to the next stage of his career. He's already had the briefest of tastes of what it would be like to manage Rangers having been drafted in for a two-game stint as Ibrox caretaker in October 2023 in between Michael Beale's sacking and the appointment of Philippe Clement. And that's only fired his desire to get back to Govan and take the acclaim of the Light Blue legions, this time as boss himself. Looking back on the end on the injury that ended his career, Davis said: 'To be honest, I've got over it. 'You try to put a different spin on it. For me, I was very fortunate throughout my career not to have major injuries, and that allowed me to play to the level I did until the age I was. 'Of course, in an ideal world, I would liked to have said my goodbyes in a different way and have that decision being my own. 'But that was taken away from me. I tried my best to try and get back, but I never felt I would go back to the level I would be happy with. 'So ultimately, the decision was made, and I was kind of at peace with that, but of course it would have been lovely to have a send-off on the pitch rather than do it on the sidelines.' The sidelines is now where he sees his future - and hopes he'll get to perch himself on the whitewash marking off the technical area at Ibrox. The WhatsApp rumours that swept Glasgow last month suggested that dream was set to take a step closer, with Davis apparently lined-up to return as No2 to Steven Gerrard. The gossip proved false in the end as Russell Martin got the call to replace Clement. But it's undeniably true that Davis sees his future back at Rangers. 'There was never any contact, to be honest,' responded Davis as he was quizzed on the Gerrard whispers. 'Obviously, I was getting a lot of messages and everybody thought it was a foregone conclusion, but that's the rumour mill, isn't it? 'For me, obviously, the club means so much to me. I've got great memories from my time there. It's hard to envisage that I'll not be back at some point in the future, but you just never know in football. 'I'd like to assume that will be the case but at this minute in time, that's not an option, so we'll see what the future holds. 'Is that still the dream? One hundred percent. I think it's the same as when I was a kid. 'Obviously, I grew up a Rangers fan and got to play for the club. The ambition was to make just one appearance. Obviously, my career involved much more than I could have ever have envisaged. 'But at this minute in time, I'm at the starting part of my journey as a coach. 'I've been involved with Michael and the Northern Ireland team, which has been really good for me. I'm doing my badges as well, so that's just part of the process. But we'll see what the future holds. 'Ultimately, one day it would be great to be step back into Ibrox as manager.' Davis's short stint in charge involved a Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol and win over St Mirren. It didn't last long but it was a valuable insight into the demands of one of the most demanding roles in football. 'Oh it was huge,' he said. 'Just to get the opportunity to be put in that position was obviously something you could never refuse. 'It wasn't in my mind at that time. I was fully focused on rehabbing and trying to get back to play. That was my only focus. 'But it came out of the blue and it was an opportunity that I absolutely loved. It whetted the appetite in many ways. It gives you a taste of what the other side's like and it's totally different. 'As a player, you have a sort of feeling of what management and coaching will be like, you don't get a full grasp of it until you're really in it and see it, the detail that goes into the preparation for everything. 'It was a really valuable experience for me and hopefully something that I can carry with me going forward. In many ways that was probably a blessing that I was just throw in at the deep end. I just had to go with it. 'I tried to give it my all during the time that I was there. It was only short-lived but it was an incredible experience to get at that time. 'You just try to do the best to your ability. Around the club at that point and all the players, there was a lot of negativity so I just tried to go in and be positive. 'We only had the two games before the international break, when Philippe then came in. But it was really invaluable for me to get that experience.' :: Davis was speaking as he helped promote 10 Years On - a celebratory event taking place at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 2, 2026, marking next year's anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to
Scottish Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
I dream of stepping back out at Ibrox as Rangers manager – I'm gutted I never got a proper goodbye, says cult hero
HE didn't get chance to say a proper goodbye to Rangers fans as a player. But Steven Davis is already dreaming of saying hello to them again - as their boss. 4 Steven Davis spent a total of eight years at Rangers from 2008-2012 and 2019-2023 Credit: Getty 4 Davis was injured at the time of his departure and couldn't say a proper goodbye to Gers fans Credit: Willie Vass 4 Now a coach, the Northern Irishman dreams of one day managing Rangers Credit: Alamy A freak training ground injury meant Davis had been crocked for five months when his Ibrox deal ran out in the summer of 2023. But that October he was quickly summoned back to take temporary charge following Michael Beale's axing. Davis' reign only lasted two games but it convinced him he wanted to be a manager one day. Talk of a quick return to Gers as a coach under Steven Gerrard this summer never came to anything. But Michael O'Neill has added the 140-capped ace to his Northern Ireland backroom staff. Davis - four times a league winner at Rangers - knows he's still got so much to learn in the dugout and is right behind Russell Martin's appointment. But he admits he would love to get the chance to spend longer in the Gers hotseat one day. Davis, 40, said: "In an ideal world, I'd like to have said my goodbyes in a different way and having that decision as my own but that was taken away from me. "I've got over it, you try to put a different spin on it. "I was very fortunate throughout my career not to have major injuries which allowed me to play to the level I did until the age I was. SunSport reporters clash over Russell Martin as he's revealed as new Rangers boss "I tried to get back but I never felt I'd get back to a level I'd be happy with. "Ultimately the decision was made and I was at peace with that. "It would have been lovely to have a send-off on the pitch rather than do it on the sidelines. "This spell I was getting a lot of messages and everybody thought it was a foregone conclusion that I was coming back. "There was never any contact but that's the rumour mill, isn't it? "Obviously the club means so much to me, I've got great memories from my time there. "It's hard to envisage I'll not be back at some point but you just never know. 'I'd like to assume that will be the case but at this minute that's not an option so we'll see what the future holds. "Is that still in the dream, though? Yeah, 100%, it's the same as when I was a kid. "I grew up a Rangers fan and wanted to play for the club. "The ambition was to make just one appearance, my career involved much more with the club than I could have ever have envisaged. "But at this minute I'm starting my journey as a coach. 4 "I've been involved with Michael and the Northern Ireland team, which has been really good for me. "I'm doing my badges as well so that's just part of the process. "Ultimately, one day it would be great to step back into Ibrox as manager." If he does he insists that whirlwind spell when he oversaw a Europa League loss to Aris Limassol and a league win over St Mirren will stand him in good stead. He said: "That was hug, just to get the opportunity to be put in that position was something you could never refuse. "It wasn't in my mind at that time, I was fully focused on rehabbing and trying to get back to play and that was my only focus. "It came out the blue and it was an opportunity I absolutely loved. "It whetted the appetite in many ways, it gives you a taste of what the other side's like and it's totally different. "As a player you have a feeling of what management and coaching will be like but you don't get a full grasp until you're really in it and see it. "Things like the detail that goes into the preparation for everything. "It was a really valuable experience for me and hopefully something I can carry with me going forward. "With the speed it happened, do I look back and wonder how I coped with it? In many ways that was probably a blessing. "I was thrown in at the deep end so I just had to go with it, I tried to give it my all during the time I was there. "It was only short-lived but it was an incredible experience to have. "Around the club at that point there was a lot of negativity so I tried to go in and be positive. "We only had the two games before the international break then Philippe Clement came in, but it was really invaluable for me." Russell Martin admits he didn't do himself justice during a six-month loan spell at Ibrox in 2018. But Davis thinks the insight he got into the club and the Old Firm goldfish bowl will be invaluable now he's back. He added: "In general it's very hard to speak about Rangers and Celtic until you actually experience it yourself. "There's the pressure that comes with it, the demands, living in the city. "Even from a recruitment basis it's hard when you're going through that process of signing players to put that across until you actually live it and experience it on a daily basis. "When you go to the club you have to embrace that, you have to enjoy that side of things. "If you don't it can sort of swallow you up a bit, we've seen that happen over the years. "Thankfully, in the positive, Russell's got that experience - he only had it for a short period but he can bring that knowledge with him. "He knows what he's stepping into, I think that'll really benefit him going into the job." Davis was speaking as he helped promote Ten Years On - a celebratory event in May 2026 at Belfast's Ulster Hall to mark the anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
BreakingNews.ie
10-06-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Isaac Price earns 10-man Northern Ireland victory against Iceland
Isaac Price made the difference at both ends of the pitch as 10-man Northern Ireland clung on for a 1-0 friendly win over Iceland in their final match before the World Cup qualifying campaign. Price lit up a drab first half to put Northern Ireland ahead, but then had to head off his own line as it turned into a defensive scrap after Brodie Spencer was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity when Hakon Haraldsson went over under a slight touch just before the hour. Advertisement Michael O'Neill would have been hoping for a more straightforward night as he looks ahead to the autumn, but will take encouragement from the way his young side dealt with adversity to keep a clean sheet. GOALLL! What a finish from Isaac 👏🔥 #GAWA — Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) June 10, 2025 Before kick-off there was a presentation for the recently retired Steven Davis and Jonny Evans, two members of the Euro 2016 squad who each earned more than 100 caps for Northern Ireland. But there was nothing to recognise Peter McParland, despite this game taking place only two days after his funeral. McParland, who scored five goals for Northern Ireland at the 1958 World Cup, died last month aged 91. O'Neill made five changes to the side that started Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Copenhagen in Denmark, handing a long-awaited debut to Ronan Hale following his switch from the Republic of Ireland. Advertisement He saw little of the ball in a tepid start to the match as neither side looked capable of creating anything. But in the 36th minute Northern Ireland took the lead out of nowhere and Price, who on Monday talked about how he has greater confidence following his move to West Brom in January, was the man to deliver his ninth international goal. Isaac Price celebrates scoring (Liam McBurney/PA) George Saville beat Arnor Ingvi Traustason to the ball, caught by a heavy challenge as he did so, and referee Morten Krogh played advantage. The ball ran to Price, who took a couple of touches before bending a shot into the bottom-right corner of the net. Northern Ireland had finally woken up, and in first-half stoppage time Hale was inches away from a debut goal, cracking a shot off the crossbar after Trai Hume flicked on Justin Devenny's cross. Advertisement Ethan Galbraith replaced Paul Smyth at the break and was a whisker wide of a first international goal in the 56th minute with a flicked header from Shea Charles' free-kick. Then Hale burst into the box and got beyond the despairing dive of Brentford goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, but his low cross was beyond Price. The mood changed completely in the 57th minute. Spencer got into a foot race with Haraldsson, and the Iceland skipper went down theatrically under the slightest of touches. Krogh immediately produced a red card with Spencer the last man. Pierce Charles (centre) made a crucial late save (Liam McBurney/PA) Iceland turned up the pressure as Northern Ireland were forced to defend their box and temperatures were raised. Advertisement Goalscorer Price turned into a defensive hero in the 67th minute, clearing Andri Gudjohnsen's header off the line, before Kristian Hlynsson sent a good chance narrowly wide. In stoppage time, goalkeeper Pierce Charles kept out a point-blank header from Isak Johannesson and Northern Ireland held on.
