Steven Gerrard will have turned down the Rangers job because the current situation at Ibrox means "you can go there as a well-respected manager and come out as a laughing stock", says Pat Nevin.

The Liverpool icon held talks over heading back to the Scottish giants for a second spell, but ultimately decided the timing wasn't right and leaves Rangers still looking for a man to replace Russell Martin, who lasted just 123 days in charge. Rangers have won just one of their seven league games, leaving them 11 points off top spot and nine off defending champions Celtic.

Martin was the latest boss to struggle at Ibrox with Philippe Clement too enduring a difficult spell as Rangers fail to overhaul their Glasgow rivals. And former Scotland star Nevin admits it will be incredibly difficult to draft in a top manager after the start Rangers have made with bosses fearing how they will be perceived if they cannot turn the situation around.

He told OLBD: “Steven Gerrard's the last one that won a title and it stopped Celtic doing the ten titles in a row. So he's literally as good as anyone else and he's certainly got a tune out of that team that season.

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“You're behind the eight ball already. When you walk in, they're so far behind the league just now. The expectation is, if you got second this season, even from so far behind, people will still be a bit grumpy with you.

“I understand that, they've got high standards. But the amount of managers that have gone in there and come out and been trashed, absolutely trashed. And there's no win for it. Celtic typically have so much more money. Celtic have got a base there. Celtic can go and blow Rangers out of the water with money just now if they want, (but) they're not. They've got plenty in the bank they can use. There's all sorts of stuff that Celtic have got in place."

Gerrard is the only man in the past decade to win the title for Rangers, but that triumph was back in 2021. Since then Celtic have re-asserted their dominance and look on course to again regain their crown.

The club are now being linked with the likes of ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, former Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick and Ralph Hassenhuttl - but the situation remains one that will manager potential candidates think twice.

Nevin claimed: “Stevie turned that down, that's not because he doesn't want to be Rangers manager, he'd like to be Rangers manager. He’s looking at them and thinking, ‘Ooh, I don't know about that’."

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