The Glasgow Rangers manager could be exactly the kind of mentor the young midfielder needs and he could excel at Ibrox.
Rangers have been linked with players left, right and centre since Steven Gerrard took charge at Ibrox, but someone who has slipped off the radar since his exit from Scottish football could be the ideal long-term investment.
Ryan Gauld was only a teenager when he racked up 51 appearances for former club Dundee United, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists in the process.
His subsequent transfer to Sporting Lisbon caught practically everyone by surprise and, despite managing only five first-team appearances for the club and spending last season on loan at Desportivo Aves, he recently told the Scottish Sun that he intends to see out his contract in Portugal.
But is that the best thing for a player who, as 22, he no longer the next big thing. At his age he should be featuring regularly for his club, not hoping for a change of fortune.
If Gauld does see out his Sporting deal, he will be 24 by the time he is looking for a new club, and it is telling that he was racking up appearances for fun at Dundee United only to falter having moved to a European heavyweight.
At Rangers, Gauld would have the ideal mentor in Gerrard, who could teach the young Scot how to develop his game and finally fulfil his potential.
Had Gauld remained in Scotland, he may already be a Rangers player by now, and former Gers boss Pedro Caixinha told O Jogo that he turned down the chance to bring him to Ibrox on loan last summer.
The player may feel he has unfinished business where he is but Gerrard should chance his hand if he wants to work with one of Scotland’s brightest talents, albeit one that has dimmed in recent times.
As for Gauld, it is not every day you get to work with one of the greatest players of his generation, the only question is: Do Rangers need him?
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