Russell Martin: Rangers appoint ex-Southampton, Swansea & MK Dons boss as new head coach on three-year deal
Rangers sacked Philippe Clement in February, with former captain Barry Ferguson seeing out the season; Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti were among candidates spoken to about job; Rangers are under new US ownership following a takeover led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises
Thursday 5 June 2025 23:13, UK
Rangers have named Russell Martin as the club's new head coach and he is vowing to give the fans "a team to be proud of".
The 39-year-old saw off competition from the likes of former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard and Carlo Ancelotti's son Davide, who was assistant at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid.
Martin is the permanent successor to Philippe Clement, who was sacked in February, with former captain Barry Ferguson taking the team for the final months of last season.
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He has signed a three-year deal at Rangers, who are under new ownership following a US takeover led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
Martin returns to the club where he spent five months on loan as a player in 2018. He was previously boss at MK Dons, Swansea and most recently Southampton, where he was sacked last December.
Assisting the former Scotland international at Ibrox will be Matt Gill, who worked under Martin at Swansea and Southampton.
The 44-year-old enjoyed a 17-year playing career spanning more than 500 appearances for clubs including Peterborough, Exeter and Bristol Rovers, as well as Norwich, where he and Martin were team-mates between 2009 and 2011.
Rhys Owen has also joined Rangers as part of Martin's backroom team, taking up the role of performance coach, with the pair having previously worked together at Southampton.
Martin: I have a lot to prove
Speaking to the media for the first time, Martin vowed to give the fans a Rangers team to be proud of.
"The supporters are the most important people at any football club," he said.
"My job is to give them a team they identify with and they are proud of. A team that wins.
"A team that's going to give everything. One thing that's always overlooked with our teams is they always run the most out of possession, because they have to if they want to dominate the ball and be aggressive.
"It's not a given, it's an attribute - you need to work hard, not everyone has that. We want people like that to come to the club.
"To the fans, I have to win. I don't think I've been the number one choice at any club I've been at. By the time we've left every team I've been at, we've formed a real connection with the supporters. I hope this will be the same.
"My whole playing career was based on hard work and resilience. It was not done on talent.
"It's not about style, it's about consistent level of application and desire and intensity, because things will change week-to-week in terms of what we're up against.
"What I want them to see is the same mentality all the time because the game throws up a lot of variables after that.
"That only played positively, how intense the support is and how passionate they are.
"I've thought only about the positives and if we get this place going, how strong and powerful that can be.
"I have a lot to prove. My whole career has been based on proving people wrong. I got to the Premier League as a player, played international football. It's the same as a manager.
"I feel after five-and-a-half years of being a coach and a leader, I love doing it. I will be all-in here with my energy and my love for it. Hopefully it will reflect on the pitch."
'Martin was the standout candidate'
Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart, who led the search along with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, said Martin was the "standout candidate" and that "this appointment is about building a winning team and a strong culture".
Thelwell, meanwhile, said: "Russell comes to Rangers with hard-earned experience. His time in the Premier League has sharpened his approach, both tactically and personally. He's better for it, and we believe that will translate into the kind of leadership and performance our supporters expect.
"His teams play dominant football, they control the ball, dictate the tempo and impose themselves physically. They press aggressively and work relentlessly off the ball. These are all characteristics that we believe are required to be successful at home, away, and abroad."
New Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh added that it was "a thorough, rigorous process" and Martin's appointment "embodies the club's goal of attracting top talent, empowering them, and supporting them."
'Martin ticks the most boxes for Rangers'
Former Rangers striker Steven Naismith, who played over 50 times alongside Martin at Norwich and Scotland, believes the appointment is the right choice.
He told Sky Sports News: "Developing players, the recruitment side of it and attacking football [are all issues] that have been labelled at the team for too long. I think they're all strengths that Russell brings.
"I think in every name that's been mentioned and linked towards the job, I think he probably ticks the most boxes for what's required at the club at this moment.
"The most common thing I would imagine everybody's heard is the leadership aspect. That was very clear from the first time I played with him.
"I know he spoke about his people skills and things like that. He knows how to get the best out of players, staff and those behind the scenes at Norwich. He was a big part of what their success was, as a club.
"His knowledge and his intelligence of the game is really good. I think even way back then when we were in our mid-twenties, he had a hunger to learn about the game.
"He had a bold style that he believed in. As players, you sit and think, how realistic is that? He's shown it from MK Dons to Swansea to Southampton. He's been clear with it.
"He's produced performances and results that have gotten a quick path to the Premier League as a manager, which is very impressive.
"He's a brilliant communicator. I think that's been the clearest thing at each club very quickly. That style, you can identify it, you can see it. He's intelligent. He's somebody who learns from mistakes. He's done that as a player.
"You listen to any player that's worked under him, it's all very positive because of that communication. He's demanding, but he comes across at the right moment, in the right way, whether it's putting his arm around a player or being a bit more aggressive with what he wants.
"I think the communication skills are massively important because I think the Rangers fans and Scottish fans in general, they're no mugs. Talking around about a subject doesn't wash, they want straight to the point.
"I think a few of the fans at Rangers will remember him as a player and that's probably not the best image of him. As a coach, he's the opposite of what he was as a player. He was a defender, somebody who obviously tried to stilt the game coming to the end of his career.
"But as a coach, he's a forward-thinking coach. He's an attacking-minded coach. That, for me, is the biggest benefit and probably the biggest thing that gives you hope going into a club where you play against a low-block the majority of the time.
"Him being a player here will have helped. He was at the club at a really tough time and he'll know what's coming if things aren't working.
"Russell is a strong, strong character. I think he never hides. He never backs away from a challenge."
Key dates for Rangers
Martin and his Rangers squad will return to pre-season training on June 23 ahead of the new campaign.
His first taste of the Ibrox dugout then comes on July 6 when they host Club Brugge, who finished second in the Belgian Pro League, in their first pre-season friendly.
The squad then depart for a training camp from July 7 at St George's Park.
Rangers then face their first Champions League qualifiers, with the first leg on July 22/23 and the return tie on July 29/30.
Middlesbrough - who finished 10th in the Sky Bet Championship - then visit Ibrox on July 26.
The Scottish Premiership campaign gets underway on August 2/3 - with fixtures for the new season out on June 20 - live on Sky Sports News.
