Next Rangers manager: ex-Wolves duo emerge as big contenders amid Steven Gerrard 'longlist' claim

Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and ex-coach Rob Edwards are among the favourites to be named the new Rangers manager.

The Scottish Premiership giants are still looking for their next permanent head coach after relieving Philippe Clement of his duties back in February. Barry Ferguson, in interim charge until the end of the season, won’t be taking on the duties for the long term with Rangers looking elsewhere.

Liverpool and England legend Steven Gerrard has been heavily linked with a romantic return to the Ibrox four years after his departure for Aston Villa. The 44-year-old has been unemployed since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in January and is on Rangers’ list of candidates.

Gerrard isn’t the only one in contention, however, with The Telegraph reporting that the Glaswegians have ditched the shortlist approach, instead going for a ‘longlist’ which runs into double figures. Two former Wolves men, O’Neil and Edwards, are among the names mentioned.

O’Neil, sacked by Wanderers in December after winning just two of his opening 16 Premier League games of the season, is said to be in contention. The 41-year-old has turned down several approaches in England since leaving Wolves but could be tempted by the opportunity potentially on offer across the border.

Despite failing in his final days at Molineux, O’Neil is confident he can land a big next job. His start at Wolves was strong, after all, and he has shown the capability to captivate a group of players. It awaits to be seen how interested Rangers are in O’Neil, but he’s reportedly “in the mix”.

Edwards, meanwhile, has been out of work since leaving Luton Town back in January. The 42-year-old worked wonders to achieve two successive promotions to reach the Premier League with the Hatters, but the drop back down to the Championship was disastrous as they were relegated for a second season in a row.

Although Edwards wasn’t in charge for the end of the campaign and therefore doesn’t officially add the relegation to his CV, he was unfortunately present for much of Luton’s worst form. Nonetheless, his prior success at Kenilworth Road cannot be forgotten and Rangers are considering Edwards as a candidate.

With Celtic and Rangers now tied on 55 Scottish Premiership titles apiece, the task for the new manager will be to edge the ‘Gers back in front of their arch rivals. Celtic levelled up the scoring by confirming this season’s crown and the current 17-point margin showcases just how dominant they’ve been. The Hoops could extend that lead further, too, with more matches remaining.

Whoever takes over the reins at Rangers will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Do O’Neil and Edwards have the bottle to cope? Could Gerrard rediscover his prior success when he lifted the 2021 title? Or will another, left-field candidate be hired instead? In this case, it’s very much a wait-and-see.

In other news, there’s been an update on Matheus Cunha’s future with a Premier League club attempting to hijack Manchester United’s approach.