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Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the former manager is set to talk about a possible return with the club's owners.

The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful recruitment procedure" is currently in progress.

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

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

In a latest audio discussion with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be recorded before Martin's short tenure ended, Gerrard stated he wanted “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I think that fits me better”.

He added: “If the right call arrives, the right club, 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 part of my nature.”

Performance at Rangers in His First Stint

Having acquired experience as a youth development coach at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the summer of 2018.

Over three complete campaigns at Rangers, he secured just one title – but it was a big one.

Following placements of 13 and nine points behind Celtic in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first premiership championship in a ten years, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row win.

And he did it impressively, with his team unbeaten in the process.

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

The downside was that it came amid of Covid and empty stadiums.

It remains Rangers' only league triumph since 2010-11.

What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his first visit to Celtic Park.

In his debut campaign the derby results were shared, each side securing two home victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic occurred in the following truncated season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard remained undefeated in derbies, winning five additional and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four rounds of qualifying to enter the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's first season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the next year.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

Aston Villa came calling in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation.

He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – however their local opponents would claw that back to prevail by the identical gap.

The attraction of the Premier League is powerful and it may have been seen as the natural progression on a dream comeback to Liverpool at a time when his coaching reputation was high.

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

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

How Did Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard did not last a year at Aston Villa.

Inconsistent results resulted in a mid-table finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal loss at Fulham placed them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

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

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

His most recent role lasted a year and a half and he departed with the team sitting 12th in the Saudi league, only five points above the drop zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial experience for me and for my loved ones,” he remarked in the end of January. “But football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”

Those after Rangers experiences may give certain pause for thought and the man himself may have concerns over taking over a struggling squad, but Gerrard likely has the character to handle such a high-profile post.

He is the sole Rangers boss to have lifted the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.