Danny Murphy says he was shocked when former teammate Steven Gerrard negotiated a return with Rangers. The Liverpool legend has emerged as the front-runner to replace sacked 55-time Scottish champions manager Russell Martin. The former Gers manager is in London this week in preliminary talks with the club’s new American owners.
Nevertheless, sources close to the Ibrox icon insist these are merely the first “exploratory” stages of a process that could take a significant amount of time to finally complete. Former Liverpool colleague Murphy is keeping his cards close to his heart but admitted he was surprised Gerrard was considering a return.
Murphy, 45, has been unemployed since leaving Saudi Professional League side Al Etifaq last season, but when asked if he had heard from Gerrard about meetings with Andrew Kabena and the 49ers Enterprise, Murphy told talkSPORT: “No, I haven’t. I’m actually surprised he’s talking to them.”
“I thought he would say no. Steve is one of those guys who is very confident in himself,” he said when asked why he believed his Reds teammates would say no. “Last time it went well, so it was kind of like an old girlfriend. They’re always like, ‘Don’t go back,'” he said.
Barry Ferguson took over the reins from Philippe Clement in February and held the position on an interim basis until the end of the Premiership campaign.
And if Gerrard is unable to secure a sensational return to Ibrox, he has left the door slightly open for a comeback. When asked about his interest in the role on Go Radio, the Rangers legend laughed: “He looks like Steven Gerrard.”
Asked if he would be interested if the deal fell through, Ferguson said: “Everyone knows it’s my club.
“Right now I feel very secure and happy with my life and am enjoying my role as an ambassador. I do a little bit of work on Go Radio and I still write a column. I’m in a good position and I’m always available to help.”
