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This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is on the managerial shortlist to replace Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United, according to The Telegraph.

What's the story?

It's not the first time that Gerrard has been linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, with Derby County reportedly interested in the Liverpool icon as a potential replacement for Frank Lampard.

Gerrard later brushed off those claims, but heavyweight interest from the English Premier League is now on the cards.

The Telegraph say that Gerrard is one of the names on the Magpies' shortlist for the vacant manager's job at St James' Park, alongside other big names like Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.

The paper reckon that Newcastle would prefer a younger coach to take charge of the team in the wake of Benitez's controversial departure.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week...

Would Gerrard be interested?

The Rangers boss for the moment appears very committed to the project at Ibrox, insisting amid the Derby interest that his focus is on the up and coming season.

If Newcastle decide to follow up on their interest though then some big, career altering decisions would have to be made by the former Anfield favourite.

Credible interest and an approach from the Magpies could mean that the Gers' plans for the upcoming season could be thrown into chaos.

The club are currently busy in Portugal preparing for European qualifiers next month and any distraction is potentially damaging.

The Ibrox side haven't had stability from season to season for a number of years now and the thought of Gerrard leaving is unthinkable when considering the future direction of the club.

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Rejecting Derby County is one thing, but the lure of the Premier League could prove tempting for a man who defined his career with performances in the competition.

From Rangers' perspective, they must be hoping that kind of serious interest in the manager is a year or two away at least.