It has now been nine days since Russell Martin was dismissed, bringing an abrupt end to his short four-month tenure as Rangers head coach.
With just five days remaining before the Light Blues face Dundee United, the club has yet to appoint his replacement. Rangers’ American chiefs, Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe, continue to lead the search for a new manager.
At one point, Steven Gerrard appeared set for a sensational return to Ibrox, four years after his first spell in charge. The title-winning manager even flew in for talks, but despite advanced discussions, he suddenly withdrew from contention on Saturday night — forcing the Gers to restart their hunt.
Following Gerrard’s withdrawal, former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl initially became the frontrunner. However, SunSport later reported that Kevin Muscat had entered the race as a major contender.
The 52-year-old, currently managing Shanghai Port in China, has his team sitting at the top of the Super League table with only a few games left in the season, meaning his immediate availability could be limited.
Despite that, bookmakers now have Muscat as the odds-on favourite to take over at Ibrox. The former Australia international previously played for Rangers, helping the club to a domestic treble under Alex McLeish in the 2002/03 campaign.
According to Betfred, Muscat’s odds have shortened dramatically from 4/1 last week to 8/11, following Gerrard’s decision to pull out. Rohl remains close behind at 10/3, while former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is third favourite at 4/1 after reportedly meeting Rangers officials. Hearts manager Derek McInnes follows at 8/1.
Betfred spokesperson Robert Ford confirmed: “Kevin Muscat has become the strong favourite to replace Russell Martin as Rangers manager. His odds have been cut significantly after Gerrard declined the job.”
Meanwhile, odds on other names such as Slaven Bilic and Michael Carrick have lengthened, with sources indicating neither is under consideration. The same applies to Graham Potter, Gary O’Neil, Kieran McKenna, and Raphael Wicky.
As the managerial search continues, former Gers defender Steven Smith is overseeing first-team training, assisted by Brian Gilmour, Sal Bibbo, and Rhys Owen. Players currently away on international duty are expected to rejoin the squad in the coming days.