Man Utd legend, 44, tipped to take over at Old Trafford linked with Rangers job

MICHAEL CARRICK is one of several names in the mix to take over at Rangers after Steven Gerrard snubbed a return to his old club, reports suggest.

Manchester United icon Carrick , 44, has been out of full-time coaching work since being sacked by Middlesbrough in June.

3 Michael Carrick is being considered for the Rangers job Credit: Getty

3 Steven Gerrard surprisingly snubbed a return to his old club Credit: Getty

Carrick has been tipped to one day be the main man in the Old Trafford dugout after a successful three-game stint as interim manager following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw him go unbeaten.

However, he is now under consideration to take up another titanic job in the Scottish Premiership with fellow fallen giants Rangers .

The Gers sacked Russell Martin after just 123 days in charge after he won only one of his seven league games in charge, drawing five, which left the club 11 points adrift of top side Hearts .

Sky Sports report 34-cap England midfielder Carrick is being considered alongside the likes of former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and ex-Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

However, two names currently out of work, Gary O'Neil and Graham Potter - who was sacked by West Ham last month - are understood not to be under consideration for the Ibrox post.

Rangers held what they believed to be "constructive" negotiations in London with Gerrard on Thursday over a potential return for the Liverpool legend - who is the last manager to win the league title with them.

But Sky reports the 45-year-old turned down the gig over a "timing issue" on Gerrard's behalf.

Sky added fans have been left wondering whether this was truly the case given how advanced negotiations had become, with one potential caveat being the new structure of the club which is different to when he was last at the club in 2021.

Regardless, Rangers intend to "thoroughly" go through the appointment process of hiring a new manager and hope to have a new boss in place against Dundee United .

Carrick has been kept busy despite not currently coaching a club, working as a Uefa technical analyst for Barcelona 's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 2008 Champions League winner spoke about how the game was ultimately won by the exploitation of the space behind the high lines both teams used.

Explaining how a coach would train his side for that game plan, he said: "A simple passing sequence with a line of mannequins to time your run and stay onside for the pass through is one way.

"You should have a coach close to a player so he has to run off the blindside of him and join the forward pass, or use him to play a one-two around him.

"I'd then move on to a possession-based game where there is an end zone where defenders can't go into. This is to emphasise running into that zone to receive the pass.

"Players need an understanding of when to run – the triggers – and also of where to pass. And for whoever is playing that pass, it should not be 'at' the player, but 'in front', into the space.

"It sounds simple but to have the picture in your head, to know the space is there and then having the willingness to run, those are the key things."

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