Chelsea legend emerges as shock contender for Rangers job alongside ex-Crystal Palace and Millwall man

A former Chelsea icon and an ex-Crystal Palace and Millwall midfielder are among the frontrunners for the vacant Rangers job.

The Glasgow giants are currently searching for a replacement for Michael Beale who was sacked from his position as Rangers boss after a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Aberdeen.

The Gers have started the season in poor fashion despite a big summer rebuild which saw them sign Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, Danilo and many more.

In total, Rangers have already lost three of their opening seven league games and they are already seven points behind archrivals Celtic who sit top of the Premiership table.

This is a far cry from the Rangers team in 2020/21 which went a full season unbeaten under former boss Steven Gerrard. The 55 time Scottish champions are desperate to bridge the gap between themselves and Celtic and they have already begun their pursuit of finding a new manager.

One potential candidate for the job appears to be Gerrard’s former England team mate and Premier League rival Frank Lampard, according to Glasgow World.

Lampard enjoyed a sensational playing career which saw him lift some of the game’s biggest honours including three Premier League titles, the Champions League, Europa League, four FA Cup and two League Cups.

Since retiring from football, he has enjoyed a strong stint as Derby County boss which saw him narrowly miss out on promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. As well as an impressive first term as Chelsea boss which saw him lead the club into the Champions League places despite a transfer embargo.

Since 2020, Lampard’s reputation has taken a bit of a hit - he was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021 after a poor start to the season and also struggled during a 12 month stint as Everton boss between January 2022 and January 2023.

Lampard briefly returned to Chelsea on an interim basis at the end of last season, but was unable to turn their fortunes around after a run of one win from 11 games. The former England midfielder has been out of football since the end of last year, but he is keen to once again manage at the top-level.

Another name in the frame for the position, according to reports, is former Crystal Palace and Millwall midfielder Kevin Muscat. The Aussie was a member of the Rangers team which won a treble during the 2002/03 season and he was renowned for his tenacity in the midfield.

Muscat has followed a similar route into management to that of former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, who he replaced in the dugout at Japanese outfit Yokohama F. Marinos. He has lifted the J1 league title in 2022 and the Japanese Super Cup since arriving at the club. He also achieved previous success by winning three league titles with Melbourne Victory, where he also replaced Postecoglou.