Shocking news: Rangers announced a new ownership

Ally McCoist has called on his old club to appoint a Chelsea and England legend to become the next permanent manager at Rangers after the club turned to former skipper Barry Ferguson following Philippe Clement’s sacking.

The Ibrox outfit axed Clement on Sunday evening following a poor run of form that has left the club trailing arch-rivals Celtic by 13 points in the Scottish Premiership, although they remain in the mix for Europa League glory.

However, Rangers are not fancied to get past Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the last-16, despite their improved performances on the European stage this season, while Sunday’s home defeat to St Mirren was the last straw and came just over a fortnight on from being dumped out of the Scottish Cup by second-tier side Queen’s Park.

Before Clement’s dismissal, Steven Gerrard was being tipped for a return to the Ibrox dugout, especially after leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in January.

The 44-year-old is fondly remembered in the blue half of Glasgow for guiding Rangers to their first Premiership title in a decade, going the 2020/21 season unbeaten before making an ill-fated switch to Aston Villa.

However, Rangers announced on Monday that former club captain Barry Ferguson has been appointed as head coach until the end of the current campaign.

A club statement read: “Ferguson, who won five league titles, five Scottish Cups and five League Cups across two spells at Ibrox, will be joined by coaches Issame Charai, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.”

Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart added: “When I spoke to RangersTV last week, I was clear that everyone is judged on results, and nobody will get unlimited time in any role at the club.

“Ultimately, the team’s response following their early exit from the Scottish Cup was a cause for deep concern, leading the board to conclude that action had to be taken now.