Martin to hire ex-Norwich star and ex-Rangers ace for Ibrox coaching team
Russell Martin is now the clear favourite to become the Rangers manager after months of searching.
The former Southampton manager has been out of work since December but now looks set to return to Ibrox as a manager.
Reports suggest that Rangers are in the final stages of appointing Martin as manager as the Glaswegians look to finally end Celtic’s dominance in the Scottish Premiership.
As a result, the 39-year-old is now making preparations to bring in his coaching staff, ready for his arrival.
Matt Gill and Maurice Ross set to join Martin’s coaching staff at Rangers
As well as Martin, multiple appointments are expected to be made at Rangers over the coming weeks.
According to the Daily Record (3 June), the former Southampton manager is likely to turn to ex-Norwich City star Matt Hill to be his assistant.
Hill worked alongside Martin at both Swansea City and the Saints before he departed the South Coast club after Ivan Juric’s appointment.
Joining him could be Maurice Ross, who formerly played for Rangers between 2000-05, making over 100 appearances.
| Maurice Ross’ playing career at Rangers | |
| Appearances | 108 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Honours | Scottish Premier League x2, Scottish Cup x2, Scottish League Cup x2 |
The former Hibernian manager was a first-team coach at Southampton under Martin before he departed in January to become Northampton’s director of football.
Dean Thornton is a clear candidate to become the goalkeeping coach, while sports scientist Rhys Owen and tactics and insights analyst Ben Parker could also move to Ibrox amid uncertain futures at Southampton.
Martin needs to be backed in the transfer market if he is to be successful
Martin will no doubt have a massive job on his hands this summer if he is to become the new manager at Ibrox.
The 39-year-old plays a very specific style of football which could take months for the Rangers squad to adapt to.
Therefore, it is a must that he brings in his own, trusted coaching staff to help speed this process up, ready for the 2025/26 campaign.
However, new signings will also be needed to suit his possession-based style.
£20 million is set to be invested in Rangers’ squad this summer, and all of this will need to be spent if Martin is to be a success.