Rangers are increasingly confident of appointing Steven Gerrard as their manager. The decision of whether Gerrard will take over at Ibrox is now believed to be the Liverpool icon’s to make, with Rangers hopeful of receiving that answer over the weekend. Gerrard, who initially met Rangers at the end of last week, has been involved in further and detailed discussions as he ponders a first step into frontline management.

The 37-year-old, currently a youth coach at Liverpool, is understood to have proposed Gary McAllister as his Rangers assistant and is aware of what funds he will have at his disposal over the summer. Rangers are seeking a permanent successor to Pedro Caixinha, who was sacked in October. Graeme Murty has been in charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis at Ibrox but is not regarded as a serious candidate to carry out the job in the longer term. Derek McInnes appeared close to moving to Rangers from Aberdeen, only to stay with his existing employers.

Kilmarnock’s Steve Clarke was considered by Rangers but has privately insisted he has no current intention of leaving Rugby Park. Neil Warnock, who has a house in Scotland and has made regular overtures regarding managing in the country, was also in Rangers’ radar but the clear frontrunner is now Gerrard.