Has Graeme Murty just inadvertently highlighted how far he is behind Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers?

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Rangers interim boss Graeme Murty is in the running for the Ibrox job.

Rangers interim boss Graeme Murty is without doubt a frontrunner to get the Ibrox job on a permanent basis this summer, yet his recent quotes on Niko Kranjcar don’t look too great from the outside.

It was recently confirmed that the former Tottenham Hotspur man has left the club by mutual consent after a string of injuries left him struggling to get regular game time.

Murty was quick to pay tribute to Kranjcar, and the current Rangers interim boss went as far as saying that the Croatia international is the best player he has ever coached.

“Personally, for me, he has been really good to work with and is a good guy to have around. Technically, he is possibly the best player I have seen up close as a coach, but we just thought it was appropriate, and respectful to him, to allow him to seek out that next challenge,” the former Reading defender told Daily Record.

While Murty’s comments were a nice gesture, he has inadvertently admitted that his coaching resume isn’t exactly one to crow about and certainly not at the level of Celtic counterpart Brendan Rodgers.

Currently the Hoops have several players arguably better than Kranjcar, while Rodgers has coached a host of top names at Swansea City, Chelsea and Liverpool, including Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez.

In fact, Rodgers has probably coached at least 50 players who have a higher level than Kranjcar, illustrating just how much more experienced he is than Murty and how much further ahead he is in terms of success.

Rangers know they are up against it in their bid to catch Celtic, not just in the race for the Scottish Premier League title but also currently in terms of club stature and reputation.

The draw of Rodgers makes Celtic a desirable option for players, hence seeing the likes of Moussa Dembele turn up at Celtic Park and Odsonne Edouard joining from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan deal.

Gers can’t immediately expect such coups in the transfer market with Murty at the helm, and considering he is arguably the standout candidate for the position, it’s simply an indication of where they are right now.