Glasgow Rangers have recently sacked Michael Beale, and a fresh report has shared a surprising new candidate who would be interested in accepting the job in the Scottish Premiership.
Who is the favourite to be the next Rangers manager?
On Sunday, Beale was relieved from his duties having been in charge since last November, which saw Steven Davis made interim manager, and his new temporary team consists of Alex Rae, Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour and Colin Stewart north of the border, as per the club's official statement on their website.
The Ibrox side have had a mixed start to the new campaign having won four and lost three of their opening seven league games, finding themselves third in the league table, and the fact that they are already so far behind Celtic – and also crashed out of the Champions League – became the final nail in the coffin for the former coach.
The Light Blues have already been linked with numerous candidates including Frank Lampard, Kevin Muscat, Pascal Jansen, Philippe Clement, Chris Wilder, Graham Potter, Ryan Lowe and Billy Davies, and the following update shares which of those are leading the race, as well as revealing a new name to have entered the running.
Are Rangers appointing Steve Bruce?
According to Football Scotland, Steve Bruce has "been put forward" to the board at Rangers as a potential option to succeed Beale. The Teddy Bears are "unlikely" to place the veteran under serious consideration as it stands, but it's stated that his history and experience in the dugout could provide a "valuable change" at Ibrox.
Lampard and Muscat are the two current favourites for the role, with Jansen and Clement next on the list as outsider options, but Bruce still remains "keen and hopeful" despite his slim chances.
How many manager jobs has Steve Bruce had?
Since the start of his coaching career, Bruce has taken charge of 11 different clubs, which are Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Hull City, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United and West Brom, twice taking the reins at the DW Stadium.
Bruce has a pretty poor record from the sidelines however, having won 385, drawn 250 and lost 384 of his 1019 matches, averaging only 1.38 points per match, so his record is extremely inconsistent and one that the hierarchy definitely shouldn't be attracted to.
In addition, the 62-year-old has failed to win any trophies or titles during his time in the dugout apart from one promotion all the way back in 2012/13, so he doesn’t really know what it takes to compete and be successful at the level required in Glasgow, considering the standards they want to achieve.
Furthermore, Bruce’s style of play has been described as very “one dimensional” and “old fashioned” by journalist Josh Bunting, therefore, with Rangers wanting to play more attacking and front foot football, this is a move that should be avoided at all costs, regardless of if he wants to join.