When Rangers came calling again, many thought Steven Gerrard’s return to Ibrox was only a matter of time.
After all, he’s the man who ended Celtic’s dominance and delivered Rangers’ famous 55th league title. But football, like life, doesn’t always offer perfect sequels.
The former Liverpool captain reportedly declined the opportunity to replace Russell Martin, who was sacked following a miserable start to the season.
Rangers have managed just one win from seven Scottish Premiership games, leaving them 11 points behind leaders Celtic — a position even Gerrard couldn’t risk walking into.
Sources close to the situation suggest Gerrard was indeed interested but backed away after learning more about the club’s current setup.
According to reports (via talkSPORT), he had “reservations” about working under the existing sporting structure led by Kevin Thelwell, preferring more freedom — the kind he had during his first stint at Ibrox.
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The risk Gerrard didn’t want to take
Former Scotland international Pat Nevin sympathized with Gerrard’s decision, explaining that managing Rangers right now could be a no-win scenario.
“You can go in there as a respected manager and come out as a laughing stock,” Nevin said.
“That’s maybe what happened with Stevie G this time. Because remember, he needs a job, but he doesn’t need that job.”
The challenge goes beyond tactics. Celtic reportedly have stronger financial backing, while Rangers’ squad has been pieced together by multiple managers, leading to inconsistency.
Gerrard, who is said to be waiting for a more stable project, apparently doesn’t want to rebuild a club mid-season with sky-high expectations and little patience.
According to talkSPORT, Gerrard also prefers to take his next managerial job over a summer, giving him a full preseason to shape his team.
For now, it seems he’s chosen to wait rather than walk into what one insider called a “really tough” situation.
For Rangers, the managerial search continues, with Danny Rohl and Kevin Muscat now leading the race. For Gerrard, the message is clear — sometimes, the smart play is not to play.
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