Russell Martin Vows Success In First Message As New Rangers Manager

Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Russell Martin as the club’s new head coach.

The 39-year-old former MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton boss has signed a three-year contract.

He will be joined at Ibrox by assistant head coach Matt Gill and performance coach Rhys Owen.

Martin guided Southampton to promotion to the Premier League last year but was sacked in December following one win from their first 16 games.

Rangers finished last season under the caretaker management of former captain Barry Ferguson, having dismissed Philippe Clement in February.

Ex-Scotland defender Martin, who had a short loan spell as a player at Rangers in 2018, is tasked with wrestling power back from the other side of Glasgow after Celtic’s stranglehold on Scottish football continued with a 13th William Hill Premiership title in 14 seasons.

“From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history,” he told the club’s website. “Now, as I return, I’m determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club.

“There’s a lot to be done, but the goal is clear: win matches, win trophies and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of.”

Martin’s arrival is the latest in a series of major changes at the club.

An American consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises secured a majority shareholding on Friday, while new sporting director Kevin Thelwell officially began work on Monday.

Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart, who led the recruitment process alongside Thelwell, said: “Our criteria for our next coach were clear: we wanted a coach who will excel in terms of how we want to play, improve our culture, develop our squad, and ultimately win matches. Russell was the standout candidate.”

Newsletter.co.uk