Tottenham and Sunderland hero wants Rangers coach chance as he sends come and get me plea amid next boss hunt
Rangers are on the hunt for a new management team after sacking Russell Martin.
A Tottenham and Sunderland hero has thrown his hat in the ring for becoming part of the next Rangers coaching staff.
The Ibrox side are in the process of hunting a new manager after Russell Martin was fired after Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Falkirk. It leaves Rangers in the Premiership’s bottom six and with one win in seven league games on top of two defeats to start their Europa League campaign in terms of the league phase.
Several names are being mentioned with the job and one of them is former manager Steven Gerrard, who had Jermain Defoe on his coaching staff as a player-coach for a short stint before joining Aston Villa. The former striker is an ex-England international and helped Rangers win the title in 2021, having already made himself a hero at sides like Tottenham and Sunderland.
Could Jermain Defoe return to Rangers?
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, the ex-forward said: “I’ve done all my coaching badges and if I got an opportunity to come back to that club to help this group of players then it would be a no-brainer.
“I said it from day one as soon as I retired. It’s well documented, the time I had there and winning arguably the most important league in the club’s history. Myself, Steven and all the boys did that and it was amazing to be a part of it. It’s more than just a football club and I think I understood what it was about. I understood when you put on a Rangers shirt you have to win and the demands and the standards.”
Defoe has not shirked wanting to be a manager in the past. He told the BBC previously: "You're going to get sacked at some point. That's the job. I love football. It's as simple as that. I've been obsessed with the game since day one and nothing's changed. I retired last year at 39 and I still had the same feeling that I had when I was a kid going out for a game.
Why Jermain Defoe wants to be a manager
"Of course, coaching and managing are completely different, but I think that's the nearest thing you get to playing. You still lace your boots up, you're still out there with the boys. I've seen players like Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard go on to become managers. That makes me want it even more.
"It's no different to when I walked into the West Ham training ground at the age of 16, hoping to work hard and get to the first team. As a player, I always liked to tick every box and give myself the best opportunity to play well. I was always that player that asked a lot of questions. That's how I approach coaching as well.
"You see it all the time - just because you've played at the top level, it doesn't mean you're going to be a top manager. As a player, you might lose a game, but you've played really well. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final for France, but they still lost. It's disappointing, but at least you think, 'I did my job'. Even [Antonio] Conte told me - as a manager, it's all on you."