Who is Ryan Lowe? The Rangers next manager candidate who is buddies with Gerrard and has Klopp seal of approval

Ryan Lowe came through the youth ranks with Steven Gerrard and could follow the Liverpool legend into the Rangers hotseat after Record Sport exclusively revealed he is on the Ibrox club’s radar as a potential replacement for axed Michael Beale.

Light Blues chief executive James Bisgrove has made inquiries about what it would take to land the 45-year-old Preston North End boss. His work at Deepdale has earned him plenty of praise, where the Lilywhites have made their best start to a league season in 90 years.

Rangers are set to ramp up their search for Beale’s successor with two games to go – away to Aris Limassol in the Europa League and a trip to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership – before the international break when they could look to make an appointment before the return of club action with a home league game against Hibs on October 21. Could Lowe be the man standing in the home dugout by the time that game comes around? Here, Record Sport examines the Englishman’s credentials.

He started his career as a player at hometown club Liverpool and it was there he struck up a friendship with former Rangers boss Gerrard. The pair came through the youth ranks at Anfield and have remained close pals. Lowe started out in management at Bury at the same time as Gerrard did at Rangers and they contested a pre-season friendly for Gerrard’s first game in charge which ended in a 6-0 romp for the Light Blues.

But as players, their careers took very different paths. While Gerrard went on to play at the very top for Liverpool and England, Lowe played for Southport’s youth team and non-league outfits in Merseyside. He then turned out for lower league outfits Shrewsbury, Chester and Crewe before the first of three spells at Bury