Glasgow Rangers already know that they will finish the Scottish Premiership season in second place after their city rivals won the title at the end of last month.
The Light Blues held Celtic to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Sunday in a game that was meaningless in terms of the league table, but still meant a lot to the fans who saw their team put in a spirited display to avoid a defeat.
Rangers will want to put up more of a fight overall in the Premiership next season, though, as they bid to avoid finishing second for the fifth year in succession.
Appointing the right manager to lead the club forward is pivotal, and it does not look like Barry Ferguson will be that man, as the team are currently on a winless run of six matches under his management.
The Light Blues have been linked with external appointments to replace the Scottish boss, who is currently in interim charge after Philippe Clement was sacked earlier this year.
Gerrard lined up for Rangers return
It was recently reported by Football Insider that the English manager is the ‘favourite’ to return to Ibrox to replace Ferguson in the dugout this summer.
The outlet revealed that he is currently the leading candidate to take the job ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell look to find the club’s new head coach.
It was claimed that Gerrard is at the top of the club’s shortlist of managerial options to come in, ahead of former RB Leipzig tactician Marco Rose.
Of course, it would be the iconic former Liverpool midfielder’s second stint at Ibrox, having left the Glasgow giants to manage Aston Villa in 2021, after he had joined the Light Blues from working in academy football at Anfield down south.
Matches
38
12
Wins
32
8
Draws
6
3
Defeats
0
1
Points
102
27
Points per game
2.68
2.25
League position
1st
1st
As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s last 50 matches in charge of Rangers in the Premiership were nothing short of extraordinary, with just one defeat and 40 wins, including an unbeaten title-winning campaign in the 2020/21 season.
The Gers boss had some terrific players to work with during that period in the club’s history. One of the key players in that title success was, for example, central midfield star Glen Kamara, who provided a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.
Why Glen Kamara was important for Steven Gerrard
The impressive central midfielder, who signed for Gerrard’s side in January 2019 from Dundee, played a pivotal role in midfield in the 2020/21 campaign.
Kamara played 33 of the 38 league matches, starting 29 of those games, and provided quality in and out of possession for the English tactician in his 4-3-3 system.
The Finnish star only scored one goal in the Premiership that term, as shown in the clip above, but he contributed in other ways with his brilliant midfield performances.
Kamara utilised his physicality, mobility, and technical quality to dominate the middle of the park by winning his duels and being incredibly reliable with the ball at his feet in the Premiership.
Appearances
33
Goals
1
Assists
1
Pass accuracy
91%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
Ground duel success rate
59%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
As you can see in the table above, the Finland international won the majority of his battles on the ground and in the air, whilst rarely giving the ball away with his passes.
These statistics illustrate how important Kamara was to Gerrard’s side because he could combine technical quality with physical robustness to provide balance in midfield for the Light Blues.
Now, Rangers have a promising young talent on their hands who could develop into being Gerrard’s new version of Kamara, if the Gers appoint the English head coach for a second time, in the form of Bailey Rice.
Why Bailey Rice could be the new Glen Kamara
Like the Finnish ace, the 18-year-old midfielder is a player who has the potential to provide technical quality in possession with strong defensive qualities in the middle of the park.
Of course, Rice is not the finished article and should not be expected to be, at the age of 18, and is a starlet who could develop and improve under Gerrard’s management, with a view to him becoming a star further down the line.
The teenage dynamo has played 12 times for the first-team so far in his young career, and nine of those games have been in the current campaign.
In those matches, Rice has shown glimpses of the kind of quality he could consistently provide in the future if his development continues on the right track, and he is given enough opportunities by managers moving forward.
The Rangers starlet did enough to leave TNT Sport pundit and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand in awe against the Red Devils in the Europa League earlier this term, as the former England international hailed his “wonderful” pass and how “composed” the midfielder was, whilst admitting that he liked the look of the youngster.
Rice won 75% of his aerial duels and created one ‘big chance’ for his team in his three appearances in Europe this term, whilst he has also shown glimpses of quality in the Premiership.
Appearances
4
Starts
1
Pass accuracy
80%
Long pass accuracy
67%
Duels won per 90
5.93
Duel success rate
60%
Aerial duel success rate
70%
As you can see in the table above, the Light Blues teenager has showcased his defensive ability for the Gers by winning the majority of his physical battles, despite being just 18, and almost won six duels per 90.
Analyst John Walker claimed that one of Rice’s qualities is his “aggressive nature to break lines with forward passes”, but his 80% pass accuracy suggests that there is still work to be done to translate that to first-team level effectively.
Therefore, the qualities are all there for the young midfielder to develop into a star who can play in a similar way to how Kamara did for Gerrard in the 2020/21 campaign, due to his ability in and out of possession.
If Gerrard is the next Rangers manager, the former England international, who played in midfield in his playing career, could work with Rice on the training pitch to turn him into his next version of Kamara at Ibrox in the years to come.
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ByDan EmeryMay 5, 2025
