WAYNE ROONEY and a sensational return for Steven Gerrard are among the big-name options to be next Rangers manager.

Philippe Clement is under enormous pressure after a disastrous domestic campaign that is all-but OVER in early February.

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Rangers’ stuttering start to the season saw Celtic kick clear in the title race, with the gap at this stage a seismic 13 points.

Gers appeared to turn the corner briefly, only just going down to the Hoops on penalties in a belting League Cup final in December.

And despite a tough run of Europa League fixtures, a final day win over Union SG secured Rangers an 8th place finish, ensuring they won straight through to the last-16.

That meant some of the goodwill lost via the sluggish domestic campaign had been re-earned, particularly after a thumping New Years Old Firm win.

That new goodwill is surely GONE with every Rangers fan after the embarrassing home Scottish Cup exit to Championship side Queen’s Park.

The humiliating result was arguably the biggest shock in that cup’s history and ensures Gers will finish the season trophyless unless winning the Europa League.

New CEO, Patrick Stewart said before the cup shock that it would’ve been the “easy decision” to bow to fan pressure and axe the Belgian.

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The decision to stand by the manager was also “not financially driven” despite rumours and reports and instead he’d look deeper for long-term fixes and the help of external experts to examine the “root and branch review of the entire football department”.

Many supporters were shocked the club have remained tight-lipped since the weekend and it looks like he’ll remain, for now. But one more slip-up would surely spell the end of his reign.

What does that mean for who is next?

Well the bookmakers believe Steven Gerrard is favourite to make a sensational return to the club.

Gerrard won just one of nine available trophies when manager the first time around, though an unbeaten league campaign in his third full season ensured it was an important league title as it stopped Celtic claiming 10-in-a-row.

That was during a Covid campaign, too. The empty stands perhaps helping relieve the pressure of a passionate home support.

Next Rangers manager – latest odds

Odds from Betfair

• Steven Gerrard 2/1
• Russell Martin 3/1
• Sean Dyche 4/1
• Wayne Rooney 5/1
• Kasper Hjulmand 7/1
• Jack Wilshere 12/1

He’d then leave Gers a couple of months into the next campaign for Aston Villa, with Rangers reaching the Europa League final that season and Villa finishing 14th in a less-than impressive spell.

He also appeared to struggle in Saudi and is now back looking for work closer to home after he left his role as head coach of Al Ettifaq by “mutual consent” after 18 months in charge of the Saudi Arabian club.

Alan Shearer urged someone to give Gerrard and Rooney another chance, telling Betfair: “Steven Gerrard has left Saudi Arabia, and I hope he gets back into management in the UK.

“He clearly doesn’t have to work, but I hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of him or Wayne Rooney. 

“I hope someone somewhere gives Gerrard the opportunity to go in and manage just like Frank is doing really well at Coventry now. Frank has taken Coventry from the relegation places really close to the play-offs so I hope, very much like Frank, that Gerrard gets another job somewhere in the game.”

Betfair make Gerrard a 7/4 shot to make a return as he leads former defender and fellow unemployed boss Russell Martin who is 3/1.

Martin recently left Southampton with the club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and facing an impossible task of surviving.

Sean Dyche is a 4/1 shot as he looks for a way back in and he’s third in the market, just ahead of Wayne Rooney at 5/1.

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Rooney’s time at Plymouth came to an end in December having recorded just four wins and 13 defeats in 23 Championship games since taking over in the summer.

The Pilgrims have since won their last three on the bounce at the time of writing, including a famous FA Cup win over Premier League leaders Liverpool and put themselves in touching distance of climbing out the bottom three.

Prior to Plymouth, his win percentage at Derby was 28.2%, before a slightly higher 25.9% at DC United and a dip to 13.3% at Birmingham.

Former Arsenal hero Jack Wilshere is also quoted in the betting as a 12/1 shot.

He’d be the latest in a long string of young English managers looking for that big opportunity having managed the Gunners’ U18s.

He left that role only a couple of months ago to take up a role as Norwich first team coach, working under current head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup.