Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is being linked with a sensational return as manager to Rangers with Phillipe Clement's position at risk following the club's shock Scottish Cup exit this weekend. The 44-year-old has recently become available after leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

A 97th-minute penalty confirmed the Scottish Premier League side's cup elimination at the hands of second-tier Queen's Park, and now Gerrard has been tipped to return to the managerial post he left behind in November 2021. Liverpool also suffered a major upset this weekend, crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of the Championship's 24th-placed side Plymouth Argyle.

But with the Reds top of the Premier League, top seed in the Champions League knockout stages and into the Carabao Cup final next month, Arne Slot has built up enough credit to not have his status come into question. Rangers also find themselves 13 points below Scottish league leaders and main rivals Celtic, so even more sack pressure is on Clement at present.

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Speaking to talkSPORT BET, club legend Ally McCoist said: "It wouldn't surprise me if Steven Gerrard came back to Ibrox. He's obviously held in really high regard by the supporters because of the league title he won, and his next job is going to be vitally important for him.

"Things haven't gone according to plan for him after he left Rangers. A little bit like Frank Lampard going to Coventry – his next appointment was really important to him as well, so we'll see what Steven ends up choosing to do with his career."

Even across the club divide, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon shared the sentiment. For Casino Uden Rofus via The Mirror he confessed: "Steven Gerrard back to Rangers? You never know in football. You never know where the next project or next adventure will take you. You can never rule anything like that out.

"At the moment, Philippe Clement is holding the fort at Rangers. He'll be looking to make progress and headway for the rest of the season and obviously build for next year. But in the future, who knows."

Gerrard's managerial stock was only on the rise when he left his Liverpool Academy position to take up the Rangers job. There he won one Scottish Premier League title, significant as it was an invincible title with the 100-point threshold breached, it was the club's first in a decade and denied Celtic a 10th-in-a-row.

But it was when he departed for Aston Villa that things went downhill. Less than a year later he was sacked, now Unai Emery is in charge of the team fighting for European qualification.

Gerrard went to take a new challenge with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq though left the role after a troublesome 18 months, so is at present without a job.