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Steven Gerrard is in the spotlight of discussion since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, and the former manager will discuss a possible comeback with the club's owners.

The decision-makers at Ibrox announced that a "thorough, considered hiring process" is currently underway.

Additional names will be reviewed, but if the former Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job essentially his?

The mid-forties manager lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in management and disclosed he has started contacting potential staff for his backroom team.

In a recent podcast interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be recorded prior to Martin's brief tenure concluded, Gerrard stated he wanted “to be at a club that's going to challenge to win because I think that suits me better”.

He added: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I will have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

Having acquired knowledge as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his first managerial role in the summer of 2018.

Over three complete seasons at Rangers, he won only a single trophy – but it proved significant.

After finishing nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden premiership championship in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.

And he achieved it in style, with his team unbeaten throughout.

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a only 13.

The drawback was that it came amid of the pandemic and empty stadiums.

It remains Rangers' sole league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?

In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Parkhead.

In his debut campaign the Old Firm honours were even, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the following truncated season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, claiming five additional and tying once.

Rangers came through four rounds of preliminaries to enter the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's debut season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to the German side in the round of 16, with their run ending at the same stage the next year.

What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers?

The Birmingham club made an approach in late 2021, paying £4.5m in fees.

He departed Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the table – however their city rivals would recover to prevail by the identical gap.

The attraction of the English top flight is powerful and it could have been viewed as the next logical step on a dream return to Anfield at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have made sure that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said then Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.

“We have had a goal to advance the club, to update our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”

What Was Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Villa Park.

Up and down performances yielded a mid-table finish at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 defeat at Fulham placed them in 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

During 2022, he won only eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He transferred to the Middle East in summer 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.

His latest job lasted a year and a half and he moved on with the club placed in 12th in the Saudi league, only five points above the drop zone.

“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial journey for me and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But football is uncertain, and sometimes events don't unfold the way we want.”

Those post-Ibrox exploits may give certain hesitation and the man himself may have concerns over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard likely has the character to manage such a high-profile position.

He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be difficult to overlook for an under-pressure Rangers leadership.