Rangers target Martin says Lewington 'always welcome' on his coaching staff
The ex-Dons head coach was full of praise for his former team-mate
Potential Rangers manager Russell Martin said he would have no hesitations in asking Dean Lewington to join his coaching staff when he takes his next job.
The ex-MK Dons player and head coach has been out of work since he was sacked by Southampton in November, having taken then up from the Championship to the Premier League a few months prior.
Martin has been linked with a return to Ibrox, where he spent six months on loan in 2018, making 17 appearances, to take over as head coach. Phillipe Clement was sacked in February, replaced by Gers legend Barry Ferguson on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Martin was one of several former managers in attendance at Stadium MK on Friday night to Dean Lewington’s tribute party, celebrating the career of the 40-year-old has he hangs up his boots this summer. Taking to the stage, Martin paid tribute to his former team-mate and room-mate, and said he would have no hesitations in offering him a coaching role in his backroom when the time comes.
“If he ever needs a job… well I need to get one first!” Martin joked. Come and work with me Dean, but one thing, I’m unemployed! At some point when I have a job, he’s always welcome.
“If he was ten years younger, I’d have done everything to take him with me (as a player). That’s how good he is. He will be inundated with job offers because people know what he can bring as a person, and with his football intelligence.
“He was a coach on the pitch in training. I felt so supported and so much better with him.
“I tried to manage him. He’s older than me and I knew how I felt in those later years, so I suggested he had days off from training, and he would say “I’ll take it easy” but ten minutes later he was steaming into someone!”