Steven Gerrard has broken his silence on social media following his decision to turn down Rangers – offering his congratulations to former Ibrox colleague Ross Wilson on his appointment at Newcastle. The Liverpool legend was the preferred choice of Andrew Cavenagh and his team to succeed Russell Martin, but following two days of discussions in London, Gerrard concluded the timing wasn't suitable for a return to the club.

The hunt now returns to the drawing board with managers such as Danny Rohl, Slaven Bilic and Raphael Wicky amongst those believed to be under serious consideration. Meanwhile, Gerrard returns to his family residence in Bahrain to carry on his break from management.

During the majority of his initial tenure at Ibrox, he collaborated with former sporting director Wilson, who has subsequently achieved considerable success in a comparable position at Nottingham Forest.

That achievement recently earned him the sporting director role at Newcastle, which was confirmed on Saturday.

Gerrard shared warm wishes for him, posting on his Instagram story: "Congratulations @ross_wilson7. Great club for you, best of luck mate."

It represents a significant career progression for Wilson, who didn't win over...