Alex McLeish tips Steven Davis to stay on in Rangers coaching capacity under new manager
Alex McLeish believes Steven Davis would be a “great addition” to the Rangers coaching staff once his time as caretaker manager is complete.
Davis has been filling in since Michael Beale was sacked on October 1 as he continues to recover from a long-term knee injury.
The midfielder is hopeful of prolonging his playing career, but McLeish can see him adapting well to life as a coach, potentially as part of the new Rangers backroom staff.
“Stevie is a player I’ve always admired,” he told PLZ Soccer (11 October). “From my Birmingham days when he played at Fulham, I thought ‘this guy is unbelievable’.
“The knowledge he has, he can definitely take it forward with coaching. I’m not sure where he is with his badges yet, but he’s certainly got a very good football brain and I think he’d be a great addition to the Ibrox hierarchy.”
Smart appointment
Davis made a bad start to his temporary spell in charge as Rangers went down 2-1 to Aris Limassol in the Europa League on 5 October.
However, the Northern Irishman then oversaw a 3-0 Scottish Premiership win at St Mirren and, to the surprise of many, is still technically in charge.
The Gers have taken their time over getting this next appointment right, and that means Davis has had more time than expected to oversee things.
With his 39th birthday now under three months away, Davis must surely be thinking ahead to a future beyond playing football.
There would certainly be worse backroom appointments for the new manager – likely Philippe Clement – to make upon taking charge at Ibrox.
Davis knows the current squad better than anyone, after all, and he clearly has an interest in coaching if he agreed to take this part-time role on.
With a bit more experience under his belt, it may well be that Davis becomes Gers manager permanently one day further down the line.
In other Rangers news, Chris Jack has provided an update on the Ibrox managerial situation.