Jim White stopped in his tracks as Simon Jordan wants surprise new Rangers manager
Rangers are set to be in the headlines for the foreseeable future as they continue to search for Russell Martin’s successor.
The Scottish manager won just five of his 17 games in charge of the Gers, leaving them in eighth place after dropping more points against Falkirk on 5 October.
Martin’s dismissal didn’t come as a surprise at Ibrox, with a large section of supporters vehemently calling for a change in the dugout for a few weeks now.
Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe recognised their mistake at the Glaswegian outfit, and a shocking name has been suggested to take over from the former Southampton boss.
Simon Jordan wants Rangers to appoint Rafa Benitez
Jim White was surprised after Simon Jordan recommended Rafa Benitez as the next Gers manager.
The talkSPORT host was stopped in his tracks when he heard the former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager’s name brought up in relation to the Ibrox vacancy.
While the Spanish head coach hasn’t been at the top of the game in recent years, managing the likes of Everton and Celta Vigo, he still possesses a lot of pedigree.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 7 October, White asked, “Do you have a name in mind who you would appoint at Rangers?” to which Jordan responded, “Someone we bumped into at the airport the other day.”
White continued, “Rafa Benitez? Okay. Alright. Wow, you stopped me in my tracks with that.”
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Benitez was being touted for the Ibrox hot seat after Philippe Clement’s departure, but the Gers ended up going for Martin in the summer.
The decision to appoint and back the Scottish manager has backfired tremendously at the Light Blues, and the American owners now have a massive task on their hands to make the right call during the international break.
Rafa Benitez can bring experience to Ibrox dugout
Jose Mourinho was being linked with Ibrox, but the Portuguese manager has recently returned to Benfica.
If Rangers had sacked Martin earlier, they might have been able to make a push to hire the two-time Champions League winner.
| Team | Tenure in charge |
| Celta Vigo | 1 July 2023 to 12 March 2024 |
| Everton | 1 July 2021 to 16 January 2022 |
| Dalian Professional | 2 July 2019 to 23 January 2021 |
| Newcastle United | 11 March 2016 to 30 June 2029 |
| Real Madrid | 1 July 2015 to 4 January 2016 |
Benitez is of a similar ilk to Mourinho, with both managers recognised for their contribution to the game over the last 20 years.
While the Spanish manager isn’t in his pomp, he can still arguably contribute greatly to stabilising the ship in G51 and bring much-needed experience to the Ibrox dugout.
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