Kris Boyd Names Surprise Contender as Rangers’ Best Managerial Option – and It’s Not Who You Think | OneFootball

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has come out strongly in favour of Russell Martin as the next Rangers manager, and he’s not exactly sitting on the fence about it. According to Boyd, Martin is the best fit for the Ibrox hotseat out of all the names currently being tossed around, and he’s made it abundantly clear why.

Boyd’s main reasoning? Martin knows Scottish football. He knows Rangers. And that familiarity, in Boyd’s view, is vital for whoever steps into the pressure cooker that is the Ibrox dugout. While others are getting hyped about names like Davide Ancelotti or Kevin Muscat, Boyd is focusing on the substance—not the sizzle. He’s wary of the continental glamour picks, especially those with no real grounding in the unique demands of the Scottish game, as seen in this scathing opinion.

He’s not wrong either. Rangers have tried the big-name experiment before, and it’s blown up in their faces more than once. Boyd is banging the drum for someone who understands the club’s culture, who grasps what it means to win every single match, and who won’t need months to adapt to the league’s unforgiving nature. That, in his mind, is where Martin stands tall, unlike previous cases like “The Kyle Lafferty Syndrome”.

Sure, Martin’s time at Southampton hasn’t been perfect – Boyd isn’t blind to that—but the ex-Gers striker is putting faith in the learning curve. He sees a manager who’s come through the fire of the Championship and is now primed for a step up. Not a leap into the unknown, but a step into something familiar, something meaningful. A club that would be more than just a job, unlike the missteps highlighted when a Rangers favourite slaughtered Clement.

The timing, of course, is critical. With European qualifiers looming and a squad needing real direction, Boyd’s urgency isn’t just emotional – it’s practical. Rangers can’t afford another misstep. They need clarity, identity, and leadership. And for Boyd, Russell Martin is ticking those boxes—as laid out in his own words in this authoritative interview.

Whether the Rangers board will listen to one of their former stalwarts is anyone’s guess, but fans will certainly take note. Boyd’s not just throwing out an opinion – he’s throwing out a warning. Ignore the safe pair of hands at your peril. Because if the next manager flops, the question will be asked: why didn’t they listen to Boyd?