Rangers are looking to bring in a former player to work alongside Pedro Caixinha at Ibrox.
Alex Rae
When he became Rangers manager in March, Pedro Caixinha admitted that he wanted to bring a local coach to help his transition into life in Scotland.
The Portuguese boss has brought his trusted coaches Helder Baptista, Pedro Malta and Jose Belman to Ibrox with him, but the search for a local coach peculiarly continues.
Rangers have held talks with six former Rangers players over returns to the club, with the intention of assisting Caixinha on the training ground, whilst teaching him about Rangers and Scottish football in general.
Here, we run through all six of the candidates who could be returning to Ibrox in the very near future…
Barry Ferguson
A former Rangers captain with 60 goals in 431 games for the club over two spell at Ibrox, Ferguson is still revered by fans who remember his committed performances. Currently out of work having left his post as Clyde manager in February, many believed Ferguson was the top choice for the job, but that talk has died down in recent days. Memories of Ferguson’s strained relationship with the last non-British manager to take charge of Rangers – Paul Le Guen – are strong, and some fans believe that he could be something of a disruptive influence on the coaching staff.
John Brown
Former Rangers defender Brown was a hero during his playing days, helping Rangers win nine straight league titles between the late 1980’s and late 1990’s. Since playing more than 250 times for Rangers, Brown has moved into management, taking charge of Clyde and Dundee, but he has been out of work for over three years now. ‘Bomber’ wouldn’t be a sexy pick for the position, and he may have been out of the game a little longer than Rangers would like, but the 55-year-old certainly knows what it takes to win at Ibrox.
Peter Lovenkrands
Former winger Lovenkrands is a surprise candidate for the job having yet to move into coaching at all. The Dane, 37, hit 54 goals for Rangers following a 2000 move from AB, and he later went on to play for Schalke, Newcastle United and Birmingham City. Currently working for the Rangers media department covering games for the club, Lovenkrands is popular with fans, and enjoyed great success with Rangers, but maybe lacks the coaching record that Caixinha would ideally want.
Alex Rae
Rae, 47, stated his career in the Rangers youth ranks, and later had a two-year spell with the club having joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2004. The former midfielder could be the ideal candidate for the job, and the best option at Caixinha’s disposal, given that he has not only been a manager with Dundee and St Mirren, but he also held an assistant manager job with Genk, working under former Rangers boss Alex McLeish. Rae may not be quite as popular as Ferguson, but he has experience in coaching and a connection with Rangers, two key factors in Caixinha’s pursuit.
Jonatan Johansson
Another surprise candidate, Finn Johansson hit 25 goals in 71 games for Rangers following a 1997 move from FC Flora. The former striker has held posts coaching the Greenock Morton reserves and Motherwell under-20’s, meaning he lacks top-level experience as a coach. Johansson – formerly of Charlton and Norwich among others – is a left-field candidate for the job, and he isn’t really a big enough name to outweigh his lack of coaching experience.
Kevin Thomson
Thomson has had to end his playing days early at the age of just 32, and whilst he is currently working as a pundit on Scottish football for BT Sport, he may want his next move to be into coaching. The former midfielder spent three-and-a-half years with Rangers but also has no coaching experience, and whilst he has been around the game with his punditry, Thomson could be a surprise choice for the job – making Ferguson and Rae the favourites right now.
Who would you like to see Rangers appoint?
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