Russell Martin in contention for surprise Scottish Premiership return after Rangers sack
Russell Martin could be set for a shock return to the Scottish Premiership, two months after he was sacked in disgrace by Rangers.
Rangers sacked Martin in October, after the Englishman had led his side to just five wins from their opening 17 games of the season.
The situation at Ibrox had become incredibly toxic, with the former Southampton boss needing a police escort just to leave the ground after his final match in charge.
New Celtic head coach Wilfried Nancy has been compared to Martin, with a similar situation appearing to be developing at the other Old Firm club.
Several Championship clubs are monitoring Martin, who is yet to speak out following his departure from the Gers.
Russell Martin in race for Kilmarnock job
Martin has been touted to succeed Ryan Mason at West Brom, if the former Tottenham assistant is sacked in the coming weeks.
But it would not be a surprise to see 39-year-old take a step away from management for the time being, such was his time at Rangers shambolic.
| Russell Martin | Rangers |
| Wins | 5 |
| Draws | 6 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Scored | 21 |
| Conceded | 24 |
There was excitement when Martin arrived at Ibrox in the summer. The Premier League proved a step too far for him, but he had enjoyed positive stints in the Championship with Southampton and Swansea City.
The Scottish Premiership felt like a sensible step, but Martin’s stubborn tactical approach was quickly found out.
After seven league games, Rangers had just one win and had drawn five of them. Another two points dropped against Falkirk left decision-makers with no choice, and the head coach was shown the door.
But in a shock twist, Martin has entered the race for the vacant managerial post at Kilmarnock following the departure of Stuart Kettlewell.
The 39-year-old has been handed 14/1 odds of taking the role, with Peter Leven (6/5) and David Martindale (8/5) currently leading the race according to one major bookmaker.
Martin was frustrated in final Rangers interview
Martin, understandably, looked fed up by the end of his time at Rangers. In his final interview with BBC Scotland following the draw with Falkirk, he was curt and not in the mood to beat around the bush.
When asked if he was worried about his future with the Gers, he said: “If it was, it would’ve been a worry for the last three months, I think, from the way everyone has reacted to stuff so, no, I have to just keep working on my job.”
And asked to give a message to the fans, Martin simply shrugged his shoulders and said: “I don’t think anything I say will help that right now so we just have to win football matches and work hard.”
Hours later, he would be dismissed. While a return to the Scottish Premiership looks unlikely, Martin would surely be glad to have an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.