8 Managers Who Nearly Became Rangers Boss

6. Rino Gattuso

A fiery midfielder during his one year stay in Glasgow, Rino Gattuso was well-liked by Rangers fans for his temperament, one which seemed to fit into the hot-headed mentality of the Scottish professional game. Bought by Walter Smith in 1997, Gattuso wasn't liked by Smith's successor, Dick Advocaat, and left the club the following year. History would dictate that the man Advocaat turned away would go on to captain the likes of AC Milan and the Italian national side, winning league titles, Champions League trophies and the World Cup in 2006. Even though he only had a fleeting stay in Scotland, Gattuso was a popular figure, and he has further endeared himself to the blue half of Glasgow by continually talking about his affection for Rangers. When Ally McCoist stepped down from his role as Rangers manager in late-2014, speculation was rife that Rino Gattuso was in the running to be the new manager. Doing his bit to fan the flames, the Italian gave interviews to the Scottish press, revealing that he would love the opportunity to return to the club he played for as a teenager in the 90's. Admittedly, Gattuso's managerial career hasn't exactly been the most fruitful to date, so it's likely the job at Rangers wouldn't have been a good fit, but he was linked. Fascinatingly, the manager continues to be tied to the club, and there are still people who feel he will one day get a shot at being Rangers boss, despite only spending a little over 12 months in total at the Scottish institution.