Darren Bent speaks out after what he’s read on next Rangers manager latest – ‘Honestly… wow’
Rangers’ search for their next manager is fast approaching the two-week mark.
Rangers sacked Russell Martin on 5 October, and look to be finally closing in on the Englishman’s replacement.
The former Southampton boss had only been hired in June, but led the Gers on a dismal 17-game spell that saw them win just five.
Steven Gerrard turned down the Rangers job, with Danny Rohl also dropping out of the process in recent days.
Rangers now look set to hire Kevin Muscat, with the former defender currently managing Shanghai Port in China.
Darren Bent reveals personal Kevin Muscat experience
Muscat is not expected to take over at Rangers until November, with the Australian keen to see out his final league title in China.
The 52-year-old has enjoyed a superb stint in Asia, with Shanghai Port set to win their second successive league title under the manager.
| Kevin Muscat | Shanghai Port |
| Matches | 77 |
| Wins | 50 |
| Draws | 12 |
| Losses | 15 |
| Scored | 194 |
| Conceded | 108 |
Muscat won the J1 League in Japan, too, in 2022, with Yokohama F. Marinos, after a disappointing spell in Belgium had seen him sacked after just 14 games in charge of Sint-Truiden V.V.
The former defender had kicked off his managerial career where he had called time on his playing days, Australia.
As a player, Muscat spent periods at Crystal Palace, Wolves, Rangers, Millwall and Melbourne Victory, notably, but a memory that sticks out for Darren Bent is from his days in South London.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday, Bent said he’d seen in the papers that Muscat now looks likely to take on the Rangers job.
“Honestly… wow. I remember him as a player. I remember him at Millwall, horrible. Look at his collection on YouTube of tackles,” Bent added.
“I was nearly [on the end of a tackle]; I jumped out of the way. I remember George Burley said to me ‘if he’s coming, you’ve got the ball, let him take the ball’. Honestly, he said ‘if he’s coming, let him take the ball’.“
Rangers fans will love what was said about Muscat
Muscat, by all accounts, was one of those players who you simply did not want to see lining up against you on a matchday.
Speaking following Birmingham City’s 1-0 victory over Wolves in 2000, Martin Grainger branded the Australian as “the most hated man in football.”
Muscat had apparently pinched Martin O’Connor, who was sent off when he responded with an uppercut that left the defender on the deck.
It can only be assumed that Muscat has cooled with age, but given Rangers’ perilous situation, some fire in the dressing room would presumably not go amiss.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@ibroxnews247