Steven Gerrard is among the candidates being considered by Rangers to become their manager. The former Liverpool and England captain is an academy coach at Anfield and has never managed at first-team level.

Rangers are drawing up a shortlist with a view to replacing Graham Murty, who in December was placed in interim charge for the rest of the season.

Gerrard is understood to have had talks with Rangers officials. Should he take over this summer, it would trigger the intriguing prospect of a battle with Brendan Rodgers, his former manager who is in charge of Celtic.

Gerrard retired as a player in 2016 and turned down the chance to manage MK Dons shortly after that. He indicated in December that he would be open to leaving Liverpool for the right opportunity.

“In six months or a year or two years’ time there might be an opportunity where I think I’m much better prepared than I was five months ago,” he said. “The MK Dons job, for example, which came up just after I had finished playing, was like a smack in the face. There was no way I was ready to lead a club or a team. Am I closer to that now? Of course, but I am happy where I am right now.”

