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Steven Gerrard is at the center of conversation after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, while the former manager will talk about a possible comeback with the club's leadership.

Those in charge at Ibrox have stated that a "comprehensive, considered hiring procedure" is currently in progress.

Other candidates are set to be reviewed, however if ex Liverpool and England skipper is willing to a return spell at the club, is the job essentially his?

The mid-forties coach has recently mentioned about “remaining goals” in management and revealed he has started contacting prospective members for his backroom team.

In a latest podcast discussion with Rio Ferdinand, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's brief tenure ended, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a club that's set to challenge to win because I think that fits me better”.

He continued: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the right challenge, and I've assembled my staff, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint

After gaining experience as a youth development coach at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his maiden coaching position in the summer of 2018.

During three full seasons at Rangers, he won just one title – however it proved significant.

Following placements of nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their maiden top-flight 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 undefeated in the process.

Rangers triumphed in all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and allowed a mere 13.

The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and fanless grounds.

It continues to be Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Look?

In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

In his debut season the Old Firm honours were shared, each side securing two domestic victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic occurred in the next truncated season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, winning five more and drawing once.

Rangers came through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their journey concluding at the identical round the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

The Birmingham club came calling in late 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He departed Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the table – however their city rivals would recover to prevail by the same margin.

The lure of the English top flight is powerful and it could have been seen as the next logical step on a fairytale return to Anfield at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his backroom staff have ensured that the club is undoubtedly in a better place today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a desire to move Rangers forward, to update our facilities and to make the club win again.”

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

Gerrard did not last a full season at Aston Villa.

Inconsistent performances yielded a mid-table position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal loss at Fulham left them in 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.

Across 2022, he secured only eight of his 31 games, losing 15.

He moved to the Middle East in July 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.

His most recent job lasted a year and a half and he departed with the club placed in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, only five points above the relegation zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial experience for me and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

Those post-Ibrox exploits could cause certain pause for thought and the man himself may have doubts over taking over a underperforming team, but Gerrard likely has the personality to manage such a high-profile post.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be difficult to overlook for an under-pressure Ibrox board.