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Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, while the former manager will talk about a potential return with the club's owners.

The decision-makers at Rangers have stated that a "comprehensive, thoughtful hiring procedure" is currently underway.

Additional names will be considered, but if the former Anfield and Three Lions captain is willing to a second stint at the club, could the position essentially his?

The mid-forties manager has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in coaching and revealed he has begun approaching prospective staff for his coaching team.

In a latest podcast discussion with the former defender, which seemed to be recorded before Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a team that's set to compete to win because I think that suits me more”.

He continued: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, the correct opportunity, and I've assembled my staff, which I will have at some point, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired experience as a academy coach at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial position in the mid-year of 2018.

Over three complete seasons at Rangers, he won just one title – however it was a big one.

Following placements of nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their first premiership title in a decade, which just happened to deny their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented tenth consecutive title.

And he achieved it impressively, with his team unbeaten throughout.

Rangers won all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The drawback was that it came amid of the pandemic and empty stadiums.

It remains Rangers' sole league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

In his first campaign the Old Firm honours were shared, each side securing two domestic victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the next shortened season, after which Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, claiming five more and tying once.

Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they advanced to the knockout rounds of the same competition, being eliminated to the German side in the last 16, with their run ending at the same stage the next year.

What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers?

Aston Villa came calling in late 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He left Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – but their city rivals would recover to prevail by the same margin.

The attraction of the English top flight is strong and it may have been viewed as the next logical step on a dream comeback to Liverpool at a time when his coaching reputation was high.

“Steven and his backroom staff have ensured that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” commented then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a desire to advance the club, to modernise our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”

What Was Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Aston Villa.

Up and down results resulted in a 14th-place position at the end of season 2021-22 before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.

Across 2022, he won just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He moved to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he took over at the Saudi club.

His most recent role continued for a year and a half and he moved on with the club placed 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the drop zone.

“Overall, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a beneficial journey for me and for my family,” he remarked in the end of January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

Those after Rangers exploits may give certain hesitation and the individual may have doubts over inheriting a struggling team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a prominent position.

He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the great Walter Smith. That achievement could be difficult to overlook for an under-pressure Rangers leadership.