NafisaRUSSELL MARTIN has disclosed Rangers were ALWAYS his top preference.
And that’s in spite of the fact his representative advised him to tone DOWN his enthusiasm for the position.
Martin, 39, was announced as the Ibrox club’s new head coach this morning.
The ex-Norwich City, Scotland and Gers defender had been unemployed since being dismissed by Southampton in December 2024 following their woeful Premier League spell.
Martin chose to take time out after his departure from the south coast outfit and declined opportunities to instantly return to management.
A few months later, Philippe Clement was relieved of his duties by Rangers and Martin immediately knew he wanted the role.
He’s had to be patient, initially with Barry Ferguson stepping in as temporary manager and then as the club compiled a shortlist that featured Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard.
During that period, Martin was also linked with the Leicester City vacancy.
But that wasn’t enough to alter Martin’s belief that Rangers were the ideal club for him.
And it just so happened he was the preferred candidate for both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
Martin stated in his first press conference today: “I’ll be really honest, there were a few opportunities since I left Southampton, early on.
“Then I had a bit of a break, I was keen to get back into things around February and March time.
“I had some tentative approaches but I wanted to reflect on what I’ve learnt as a coach, a leader and that time was important.
“As soon as the Rangers job came up, this was the one I really wanted.
“I wanted it because of the expectation, the size of the club and what it means to people.
“Rangers is something completely different to anything else in football and I felt that when I was here as a player.
“That comes into my mind too, that the one thing that hurt me when I look back on my career is that it didn’t go well here.
“I’m desperate to show a different version of myself here than I did previously.
“So with all that in mind I was really honest from the outset that I wanted to be the Rangers manager and that this was my first choice.
“My agent kept saying to me to play my cards close to my chest but I was really open and honest and now I’m delighted to be here.”
Martin explained to fans how he envisions his team playing but understands that his main focus is to deliver victories.
And, he’s confident he can transform the Light Blues into genuine contenders this season.
He said: “We’ve managed three clubs and the teams were all really different, but we had the same concept of the game.
“We wanted to be aggressive on the ball and without it. You can’t have one without the other.
“But I’ve used different formations, shapes and personnel.
“We are here to WIN and we’ll do that in the best way we possibly can.
“I think we can have a team that is better, wins more points, wins more games. And competes, really competes to win trophies.”
Some Rangers supporters remain unconvinced by Martin’s appointment, to put it mildly.
And to those parts of the fanbase, Martin shared a direct message – stressing he’s earned supporters’ trust before at EVERY club he’s worked at.
He said: “To the fans, I have to win. I don’t think I’ve been the number one choice at any club I’ve been at.
“At MK Dons to go from a player to become a manager is a bit of a surprise to the fans.
“At Swansea they were being linked with all sorts, they had lost in the play-off final then we turned up from League One.
“At Southampton the same, they had just been relegated from the Premier League and I’m sure there were loads of names linked with the job.
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