Rangers Turned Down By Second Manager 'At 11th Hour' After Steven Gerrard Snub

A second manager has turned down the vacant managerial role at Rangers, according to reports - days after Steven Gerrard withdrew from the race.

The Gers sacked Russell Martin earlier this month, and have picked up just nine points from their eight Scottish Premiership games this season.

Former Rangers boss Gerrard was quickly installed as the favourite to make a return to the club, but pulled out of the running on Wednesday after holding talks with Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart and director of football Kevin Thelwell.

According to Sky Sports Scotland, Gerrard believes that the timing is 'not right' for him to take the role, with the report noting that the Gers hierarchy would offer little in the way of a January transfer budget.

Following the Liverpool icon's withdrawal, Rangers held positive talks with former Millwall and Wolves defender Kevin Muscat, who is currently in charge of Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port.

The 52-year-old was once described as 'the most hated man in football' during his playing days, having been the first Premier League player to be successfully sued in court over an alleged deliberate foul.

His last domestic league match, in January 2011, ended with Muscat being shown a red card for a two-footed tackle, for which he subsequently received an eight-match ban.

He retired in August of that year following the conclusion of the AFC Champions League season.

He played 22 matches for Rangers towards the end of his playing career in Europe between 2002 and 2003.

As a manager, Muscat has achieved major success, winning league titles in Japan, China and his native Australia.

That has earned him comparisons to Ange Postecoglou, who embarked on a similar path - minus a spell in China - before being appointed as Celtic boss in 2021.

But talkSPORT's Ben Jacobs reported on Sunday that Muscat was having last-minute doubts over taking the role after talks with ex-Manchester United director Stewart and Thelwell, who have both been heavily criticised by Rangers fans this season.

"Kevin Muscat's Rangers move is in doubt despite an agreement being close last week," Jacobs writes.

"Deal not off yet, but Muscat taking time to assess whether he feels he's a fit in Rangers' recruitment model following meetings with Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart."

Now, Muscat has decided to pull out of talks to become the next Rangers manager - meaning the Scottish giants' lengthy recruitment process is set to continue.

Jacobs reports that there are differing accounts from the two camps, with Rangers sources claiming that Muscat's unwillingness to join immediately - Shanghai Port are top of the Chinese Super League table with three games left in the season, which finishes on November 22 - was the reason behind the breakdown in negotiations.

However, Muscat's camp are said to be claiming that he was unhappy with Rangers' current recruitment model, which was reportedly one of the reasons behind Gerrard's initial withdrawal from the process.