Steven Gerrard Officially Named Rangers Manager

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was named as the new Rangers manager on Friday.

The Glasgow outfit announced the widely expected appointment via their official website, confirming Gerrard has signed a four-year deal at Ibrox.

Per Rangers' statement, Gerrard, 37, will join the club in the summer. The new manager expressed his excitement at taking the role: "I am honoured to become the next manager of Rangers. I have enormous respect for this football club, and its history and tradition. I can't wait to start this new journey at Rangers as we look to build on the many successes that this club has achieved."

He will succeed Graeme Murty as the permanent boss following the 43-year-old's dismissal on Tuesday. 

Gerrard retired from playing in 2016 after a brief spell with L.A. Galaxy, which followed his 17-year senior career at Anfield.

He has since been coaching in Liverpool's youth setup, and the Rangers role will be his first senior managerial position.

Rangers have spent the best part of the past decade in a state of turmoil. They were demoted from the top flight to the fourth tier of Scottish football in July 2012 after going into administration and had to work their way back to the Scottish Premiership.

The Glasgow outfit returned to Scotland's top tier in 2016-17, but they are still some way from challenging Old Firm rivals Celtic for the title.

Gerrard has been linked with the Rangers job for several weeks, and reaction to his appointment has been mixed:

The former England captain cannot be accused of shirking a challenge given the huge status Rangers hold in Scottish and European football.