Russell Martin left Rangers back in May when the season ended. He’s yet to find a new club since.
The former Norwich City defender spent six months at Ibrox between January and May. During that period, the English-born Scotsman cemented himself as one of Rangers’ top defenders. That wasn’t saying much, however.
Despite making 17 appearances during his loan stint, Martin struggled to impress. He was an imposing figure, but was far too clumsy and never looked composed on the ball. In the main, it was a baffling signing from then-manager Graeme Murty at the time.
No longer in his comfort zone
Since leaving Rangers, Martin has been released from his comfort zone at Norwich. The former Norfolk captain has failed to impress any suitors in the summer, and Rangers fans should thank their lucky stars that Gerrard didn’t want to keep him around.
It’s quite incredible just how poor Martin was at Ibrox when you consider his previous experience. As well as being a veteran with Norwich for nine years, where he played Premier League football, he was also a regular with Scotland.
The former Rangers centre-back was a key part of Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squads when he first joined. To Martin’s credit, he was actually part of Scotland’s most exciting period in recent years during the 2016 European Championship qualification campaign. In recent times, however, Martin has found himself nowhere near selection given his lack of game-time.
There was never any interest from Rangers in doing a deal with the Scottish internationalist. It’s important to stress that Martin wasn’t the only reason things went so badly under Murty. He was just a symptom of what ended up a disastrous spell under the now under-20 coach.
Hopefully the former Gers defender can find himself a new club. He was always a top pro at Ibrox, but didn’t have the quality or speed to make it at Rangers. He could easily do a job for a lower league club in England, and hopefully he finds his way once more.
