Glasgow Rangers’ move to appoint Kevin Muscat as the new man in charge at Ibrox has taken a twist which could see a former Scotland winger take charge on an interim basis.
Following surprise rejection from Steven Gerrard, it was back to square one for the 49ers. It looked almost certain that the former Rangers manager would be making his return to Ibrox for the first time since leaving in 2021, only for their offer to simply come at the wrong stage of their current project.
Now, Kevin Thelwell and others have been left with no choice but to turn towards other candidates – sparking several rumours. Now that it’s not Gerrard, reports have mentioned Danny Rohl, former West Ham United boss Graham Potter and several other names, but the “favourite” for the job is now Shanghai Port manager Kevin Muscat.
The 52-year-old was previously in contention to take the job before the Gers ultimately turned towards Philippe Clement in 2023. Now, two years on, he could finally get the chance to take charge of the side that he played for between 2002 and 2003.
His appointment would certainly make sense. Muscat is someone that knows the club well from his playing days and someone who has since won everywhere he’s been as a manager.
Those at Ibrox should also know their candidate pretty well, given how close he’s been to the job in the past. The only obstacle will be getting Muscat out of his position in Shanghai, with the Chinese Super League season not coming to an end until mid-Novemeber.
That said, reports that he’s already got a secret agreement in place about one Ibrox change suggests that he’s been preparing for the job for some time.
Secret Rangers agreement could see interim appointment
As reported by The Daily Record, Muscat already has a secret agreement in place with Neil McCann to join his backroom staff at Rangers and, if he gets the job, the former Scotland winger will reportedly make himself available to take charge until the manager completes his business in Shanghai.
This could see McCann take charge as soon as this weekend against Dundee United and return for the first time since being part of Barry Ferguson’s staff in an interim spell last season.
The delay in Muscat’s arrival would be far from ideal, but handing one of his potential staff members the role on a temporary basis looks like an ideal solution. McCann knows the club well, knows the potential next manager well and could steady the ship before mid-November.
In an ideal world, however, Muscat will call time on his tenure in China and instantly take the vacant Ibrox position. He has been a man in waiting for some time and should take hold of the opportunity whilst he still has the chance.