Betting latest: Rangers boss Murty among frontrunners for English club job

Wed 21 March 2018 13:59, UK

Rangers manager Graeme Murty is among the frontrunners to be named the next Reading manager, according to the latest bookmakers’ odds.

SkyBet have priced Murty, 43, as the 12/1 fourth-favourite to be named Jaap Stam’s successor at the Madejski after the Dutchman was sacked by the English Championship club on Wednesday.

Paul Clement (1/3) is the overwhelming favourite at this stage while former Rangers manager Mark Warburton (10/1) is second-favourite.

Murty will remain in charge of the Gers first-team until the end of the season after the Ibrox board failed in their pursuit of Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes after Pedro Caixinha was sacked earlier in the campaign.

The former Gers Under-20s boss spent the bulk of his playing career at Reading and made over 300 appearances in all competitions for them between 1998 and 2009.

It seems very unlikely that the 43-year-old would leave Ibrox before the end of the season to return to the Royals.

Football Insider verdict

Murty was clearly a very popular character during his time at Reading but it seems pretty much impossible for him to quit Rangers now in order to return to the Championship club. The 43-year-old will still be doing his best to earn an extended period in charge of the Light Blues, especially after two home defeats in a row against both Celtic and Kilmarnock. At the very minimum, Murty needs to ensure that the Gers finish second in the Scottish Premiership and not get rolled over by the Bhoys in the upcoming Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. Beating them and getting into the final and winning the cup may pretty much guarantee the job will be his, but it is very early to predict what will happen at Ibrox in the summer.