By Anthony Onifade

23rd Apr, 2023 | 10:10am

Rangers: Jeff Stelling shares Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard rumour after Nottingham Forest appearance

Jeff Stelling has suggested that Steven Gerrard could be following former Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson to Nottingham Forest after being spotted in their last two games.

Wilson, who was the Gers’ sporting director since 2019, was appointed as the chief football officer at the City Ground after Nottingham Forest confirmed the news on their website on Wednesday 12 April.

The Reds currently sit in the relegation places in the Premier League, having not tasted an English top-flight win since 5 February throwing Steve Cooper’s position as manager into doubt.

After former Rangers boss Gerrard was seen at Forest’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday [22 April], Stelling indirectly suggested the Liverpool legend could be following Wilson through the City Ground doors.

“I’m just going to tell you,” Stelling said live on Sky Sports News on Saturday (5:37 pm, 22 April).

“The mischief makers will just suggest here that Ross Wilson has joined Nottingham Forest, he is their director of football and he was with Steven Gerrard at Rangers. Steven Gerrard has now been at Nottingham Forest’s last two games. Make of that what you will but I can’t tell you anything else.”

Back in a job

It certainly seems as if the former Rangers and Aston Villa boss could be back in a job as suggested by Stelling and given he has appeared at Forest’s last two games since Wilson left Ibrox to join Forest, he could well be reuniting with his former colleague in the Midlands.

When Gerrard made the move to manager Aston Villa in the Premier League in November 2021, many felt it was indeed the ideal next step in his short managerial career having won the Scottish Premiership with the Rangers the same year.

However, things did not go according to plan for the Liverpool legend with the Villans staring down the barrel of relegation before his sacking. The sacking certainly will have affected Gerrard’s confidence and tarnished his reputation as one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the land.

And it certainly seems as if Ross Wilson is willing to hand him a lifeline at Forest at the expense of fan favourite Steve Cooper and recreate the success they enjoyed at Ibrox a few years ago.

Wilson endured some torrid protests at Rangers for much of his decision-making in regard to recruitment, and he could well face the same treatment in his new job already if he replaces Cooper – a much-loved figure within the Forest fanbase – with a manager who struggled to make an impression in his maiden managerial opportunity in the Premier League. Bleak.

In other Rangers news, the club may now approach a sporting director who built a Champions League winning team and can hire him for free.