Steven Gerrard says it straight after dismissing Rangers move with message to key figure

Steven Gerrard was the top choice for Rangers but the former Liverpool and Aston Villa boss decided against returning to Ibrox after two days of talks in London

Former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has spoken out on social media after his choice to reject Rangers - extending his best wishes to former Ibrox colleague Ross Wilson following his appointment at Newcastle.

The Liverpool legend was the favoured option of Andrew Cavenagh and his team to replace Russell Martin, but after two days of talks in London, Gerrard decided the timing wasn't right for a comeback to the club.

The search now goes back to square one with bosses such as Danny Rohl, Slaven Bilic and Raphael Wicky amongst those thought to be under serious consideration.

Meanwhile, Gerrard heads back to his family home in Bahrain to continue his break from management.

Throughout most of his first stint at Ibrox, he worked alongside former sporting director Wilson, who has since enjoyed remarkable success in a similar role at Nottingham Forest, reports the Express.

That success recently landed him the sporting director position at Newcastle, which was announced on Saturday.

Gerrard offered his congratulations, writing on his Instagram story: "Congratulations @ross_wilson7. Great club for you, best of luck mate."

It marks a major career step up for Wilson, who didn't convince all fans during his time at Ibrox but has still managed to restore his standing in England, having initially left Southampton for Rangers in 2019. Upon his introduction by Newcastle, he expressed: "I'm absolutely delighted to be here at Newcastle United.

"This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United.

"My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I've also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and David Hopkinson.

"The trust, cohesion and alignment we're building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together.

"I'm excited to work with everyone across the different areas within our football department.

"There's already excellent work being done here and, from the first team to the women's team and academy, my aim is to build on that, strengthen our structures over time, and work with our staff to create environments where players and staff can continue to thrive."

Click here to read article