IT’S OFFICIAL, Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the new Rangers manager and it could turn out to be an even better appointment than his predecessor.

The Dutchman was the overwhelming choice from the supporters given the fact he’s enjoyed success at Feyenoord, his style of play and, of course, his time as a player at the turn of the century.

However, if truth be told, on paper, he’s an upgrade on Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard took over a Rangers team on its knees and has left it in an altogether different place three-and-a-half years later but the club could ill afford another rookie manager given the prize on offer at the end of the season.

Fans will forever be grateful for Gerrard and his coaching team for delivering the holy grail of 55 but the squad had gone off the boil this term. Certain players were being blamed as well as Covid and injuries but the former manager himself may have taken his eye off the ball after such a momentous campaign.

The Champions League journey, or lack of, was a depressing disappointment and it was evidently clear performances in the Europa League dipped dramatically. It wasn’t held in such high regard as it has been in previous seasons when the Champions League carrot wasn’t dangled in front of them.

READ MORE: Steven Gerrard is a remarkable man but in time will look back on his Rangers exit with regret

League displays have been patchy, littered with defensive calamities and a slight sense of malaise had seemed to engulf the squad.

That being said, with a crucial League Cup semi-final with Hibernian on the horizon and a winner-takes-all Europa League clash with Sparta Prague, many questioned Gerrard’s timing for deciding to leave - but it may just turn out to be perfect.

Perhaps a change of manager was just what Rangers needed.

Gerrard hasn’t looked like the hungry and determined coach we witnessed last season which is understandable given what he achieved but it's hard to shake the notion this had manifested itself in the players.

In Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers are getting a coach who is hungry and excited about the challenge that awaits and someone who understands the demands of the support.

Not to mention, he has won silverware already. Winning the title with Feyenoord four years ago was no mean feat given the financial muscle of both Ajax and PSV. Two Dutch cups were also delivered before a brief Covid-interrupted stint in China with Guangzhou R&F.

Like Gerrard, van Bronckhorst is a winner. As a player he enjoyed a more successful career than his predecessor. Both won the Champions League but the Dutchman also acquired league titles in Scotland, England and Spain as well as captaining the Netherlands to the World Cup final in 2010.

READ MORE: The four Rangers defensive pillars that are showing cracks and how to fix them

He’s learned from the best coaches on the planet which he has said have helped shape his coaching philosophy:

"There’s been Dick Advocaat, Louis van Gaal, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman and Arsene Wenger. They all had their own ways and different styles, and I’ve tried hard to form my own identity and philosophies as a coach, while never forgetting the positives I took from all of them.”

As well as that, he spent five months shadowing Pep Guardiola at Man City having previously known each other when van Bronckhorst was plying his trade with Barcelona and Guardiola was cutting his teeth in management with Barca’s B team.

With this appointment, Rangers are placing their trust in a man who has a track record of winning, not just in playing but in management too and that is the key difference between his and Gerrard's appointment back in 2018.

Then there is the emotional affiliation, last year van Bronckhorst gave an interview to Sky Sports in which he said:

"I always said if I could coach the teams I played for it would be a big dream."

As much as Gerrard appeared to have that connection with the fans, his decision to leave for Aston Villa suggests he was playing to the gallery, you just have to go back a few weeks and watch the interview he gave to BT Sport to raise questions about the legitimacy of the words he used.

With van Bronckhorst, Rangers are not only welcoming back a hero with open arms but he appears just as excited and overjoyed to be returning to Govan.

Like everything in football, no matter who the manager was going to be, he would be judged by results and van Bronckhorst will be no different.

However, you can’t help but feel positive about what the future holds for Rangers Football Club.

Let’s Gio!