Lee McCulloch has said that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard would be a ‘big gamble’, if he is appointed Rangers manager.
Rangers have made the former England captain their No.1 target for the manager’s position at Ibrox, with interim boss Graeme Murty unlikely to be given the job on a full-time basis.
Gerrard has impressed since being appointed Under 18s boss at Liverpool last summer, but his lack of first-team managerial experience is a concern for former Rangers skipper McCulloch.
“Yes, Gerrard is an Under-18s coach, a phenomenally talented player for club and country, and won the Champions League and UEFA Cup,” McCulloch said.
“But, in management terms, he is very inexperienced. It is a big gamble.”
Former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson, who had a spell in the youth ranks at Rangers, shares the same sentiment and also believes it would be a risk for Gerrard to take charge at Ibrox.
“For Rangers, it is a gamble getting a young guy in who has not got a lot of experience of managing men,” Neilson said.
“But, also from Steven Gerrard’s perspective, there are probably two things he has to find out first: What are the expectations at Rangers? If the expectations are to go straight in and win the league, then it is going to be very difficult.
“And what is the budget going to be? If the expectations are to win the league, then the budget has to match that.
“It is a huge gamble for both parties, and it is whether it is worth the risk.”
Neilson also thinks that Gerrard may already have eyes on succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, adding: “If I am Stevie Gerrard in that situation, it is a difficult one to commit to. Liverpool is such a big club and he has such a reputation there.
“He could spend the next two or three years there and go straight into that [manager’s] position with the experience he has got.”
Murty has taken Rangers into second place, but is battling to secure that position ahead of Aberdeen and Hibs, with Neilson believing the club are taking steps to be prepared for next season.
“The board has got a job to do and it shows they are being active,” said Neilson. “They know currently things are not good enough and they need to get better next season.
“They are going to need to approach candidates before the end of the season, but it tells me that Graeme is not going to get the job.”
