Former MK Dons boss Russell Martin appointed new Rangers head coach

Former MK Dons boss Russell Martin will be the new Head Coach of Scottish side Rangers.

The 39-year-old has been appointed as a permanent successor to Phillippe Clement, who left the Glasgow-based club in February, and as a replacement for Barry Ferguson, who had been in caretaker charge since Clement’s departure.

Martin has signed a 3 year contract at Ibrox, returning to a club who he played for on loan in 2018. He will be joined at the club by Assistant Head Coach Matt Gill and Performance Coach Rhys Owen.

The move sees Martin return to management for the first time since leaving Southampton. Martin had won promotion with Southampton via the Championship play-offs in the 2023/24 season, but was sacked after winning one of the first 16 games in the Premier League in the just-concluded 2024/25 season.

Before his time with the Saints, Martin had stints at MK Dons and Swansea as a Head Coach.

At MK Dons, Martin was appointed in November 2019 as a successor to Paul Tisdale, with Martin able to keep MK Dons up in the covid-shortened 2019/20 campaign before managing a 13th place finish in the 2020/21 season. He left on the eve of the 2021/22 season to take the Swansea City job.

The move to appoint Martin is Rangers’ first following their takeover by a US-based consortium last week, with the Scottish club having been also linked with former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti, ex-boss Steven Gerrard and former Feyernoord boss Brian Priske before choosing Martin.

Martin told the official Rangers website of his delight to get the job with the Glasgow club, who have finished as runners up to Celtic in each of the last four seasons.

He said, “It is a privilege to be named Head Coach of Rangers Football Club at the beginning of this exciting new chapter.

“I know what this club demands. From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history. Now, as I return, I’m determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club.

“There’s a lot to be done, but the goal is clear: win matches, win trophies, and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of. We want to play with bravery, to take the ball, to be aggressive, and to stand up in the big moments.”