Ex-Chelsea and Crystal Palace pair emerge as Rangers managerial contenders

Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and ex-Crystal Palace defender Kevin Muscat have emerged as two early frontrunners for the Rangers job. The Scottish Premiership giants are in the hunt for a new boss after parting company with Michael Beale on Sunday evening.

The Gers were beaten 3-1 at home by Aberdeen over the weekend. They are currently seven points behind rivals Celtic in the table.

Chelsea sacked Potter back in April after his unsuccessful stint in charge at Stamford Bridge. The 48-year-old was lured to London after doing an impressive job at Brighton and Hove Albion.

However, he wasn’t able to make an impact with the Blues and was given the chop after a tough stint at the helm. He has since been weighing up his next move in the game and is carefully considering his options.

Muscat has also emerged as a potential candidate for the Rangers position. He spent a year-and-a-half during his playing days at Crystal Palace and played 61 games in all competitions, chipping in with three goals, and also played for the likes of Wolves and Millwall.

He hung up his boots in 2011 and delved into the coaching world at Melbourne Victory. He currently manages in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos but they could face a battle to keep hold of him if the Gers come calling in the near future, despite him winning the J-League title a couple of years ago.

As per BetVictor, Potter is the 3/1 favourite for the Ibrox vacancy. Muscat then follows behind at 4/1, with other names in the frame being Kjetil Knutsen at 5/1, Derek McInness at 6/1, Nathan Jones at 6/1 and Dean Smith at 10/1.