Alex McLeish believes that Barry Ferguson can land the Rangers job permanently if he beats Athletic Bilbao in Spain.
The former Light Blues manager is rooting for his one-time Ibrox skipper and interim boss to be handed the reins.
Big Eck reckons that if Ferguson can steer Rangers into the Europa League semi-finals with a victory in the Estadio de San Mames in Spain on Thursday night, he will have every chance of stepping into the hot seat.
The 66-year-old insists that Ferguson will have his eyes fixed totally on the coveted prize of becoming the next Rangers manager.
"If he can get it together for the next run of results domestically as well as in Europe then who knows?
"This is a tough game. Athletic Bilbao are great favourites; the final is at their stadium. They will come at Rangers from the off but if Barry pulls this one off then it’s another massive feather in his cap.
"This game could be decisive for Barry and his chances of getting the job. There would be real prestige in winning through, as well as a financial boost for the club. He knows himself, because of his history with the club, how much this club needs to win.
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"I've kept in touch with him through the years and I was really pleased for him to get that position because he gets it.
"Unfortunately, the results in the Scottish Premiership haven’t been what he would have wanted.
"He's certainly got a shift out of them in the big games when you look at the Celtic game and obviously the European campaign.
"So, I would love him to get it.”
With the potential of a US takeover still looming large in the background, McLeish has nothing but praise for Ferguson's audition in the role so far.
Having knocked out Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce en route to the last eight of Europe the former Scotland manager is convinced that if Ferguson were to go one better than Walter Smith in 2008 and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in 2022 by lifting the Europa League trophy then any prospective new owners coming into the club would have to appoint him.
McLeish said: "A lot of people would have melted just meeting Jose Mourinho, never mind Barry beating him.
"These results were just incredible when you think of some of the domestic results that have gone against him and the team.
"It was frightening but the way Rangers have played in Europe in the last few years has been quite incredible, getting to the latter stages quite consistently.
"Surely if Barry wins the Europa League he'd get it then. Listen, he’ll just be looking to finish the league campaign in good style.
"When it comes to this European tie, Bilbao will be smarting from last week. They have been savaged by their own press over there.
“Bilbao were supposed to wipe the floor with Rangers. I asked my former Aberdeen teammate Stevie Archibald if Rangers had any chance and he said no. He said Bilbao would beat Rangers at Ibrox and in Spain.
"However, Rangers surprised them. I'm sure they'll come out with the guns blazing in their own town and stadium.”
"If Barry pulls this one off then it's hard to see why he can't get the job.
"Listen, the Americans are coming in and they’ll have big ideas. They'll have some big names in their wee black books."
Alex McLeish was promoting Premier Sports’ live and exclusive coverage of Hearts v Aberdeen on Saturday from 12 pm on Premier Sports 1. Watch Premier Sports via your TV provider on Sky, Virgin TV, STV Player and Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription, and on the Premier Sports’ streaming platform.
