Rangers: Alex Rae backs Alex McLeish as 'ideal' for Ibrox job

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish was back at Ibrox to attend a Scottish Cup tie earlier this year

Alex Rae believes his former Rangers manager Alex McLeish is "an ideal candidate" for the current Ibrox vacancy.

McLeish, 58, managed Rangers between 2001 and 2006 and finds himself being linked with a return to Glasgow following Pedro Caixinha's sacking.

Former midfielder Rae also worked with McLeish as a coach at Genk.

"He's been there and done it and it was under really difficult circumstances," said Rae, 48.

"You had the [Dick] Advocaat era [at Rangers], which was a phenomenal amount of money.

"Then [Alex McLeish] had to get rid of Barry Ferguson, [Lorenzo] Amoruso and the likes of that, [Mikel] Arteta. Then it was downsized but he still managed to win trophies.

Rae and McLeish in 2005

"The big guy's class, having worked with him in Belgium, I feel as if he'd be an ideal candidate."

The Ibrox side, under interim boss Graeme Murty for a third straight game, lost 2-0 to Hamilton Academical on Saturday - Rangers' third home defeat of the season and fifth overall this term.

Caixinha was unable to register three successive wins during his seven-month reign and Rangers find themselves a point behind Hibernian, three off Aberdeen and nine short of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.

Rangers visit Dundee on Friday before home and away meetings with the Dons.

"There's a couple of big games coming up against Aberdeen," Rae said on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"At the moment, the appointment of the new manager is crucial.

"If you can get someone in there, you'll be looking for a bounce immediately with the players at their disposal and then you're looking to try and overtake Aberdeen."

Dons boss Derek McInnes, a former Rangers midfielder, has been linked with the Ibrox vacancy but said last week there had been no approach from the Glasgow club.

"There's Alex McLeish and Derek McInnes in terms of guys who know that infrastructure," Rae added.

"I would say one of those two could probably go in there and do a job.

"I think the problem is that they're unsure. As a board, they're unsure that they're going to go and get McInnes. Otherwise you'd go and get him.

"The fact that they've not got three wins on the bounce is ridiculous. Fundamentally, they need to get back to winning games.

"Can you imagine in my time when I was there that Rangers lost to Hamilton at Ibrox? There would be an outcry for somebody to lose their job and unfortunately that's where Rangers are at the moment.

"Watching at the weekend, I was embarrassed in the manner in which they actually capitulated.

"When you come to Ibrox, it used to be an intimidating place. Teams like Hamilton are coming there and actually giving a good account of themselves."

Giovanni van Bronckhorst says Rangers "is still a club in my heart" but is focused on his job at Feyenoord

McInnes' former Rangers team-mate Giovanni van Bronckhorst has also been mentioned in connection with the Rangers job, but the Feyenoord manager said on Monday: "I have seen the media coverage but I am fully focused at Feyenoord and I will be focusing on Feyenoord for the next years.

"I obviously had a great time in Scotland with Rangers, I think one of the best times I had abroad.

"But at the moment, for me, all that counts is Feyenoord. You can never tell, maybe in the future, because it is still a club in my heart."