Graeme Souness answers lingering Rangers question as icon names 'lucky' let off he wouldn't change

Souness rules out a return to Rangers management, saying he has no regrets about leaving the game and doesn't miss the day-to-day work.

Graeme Souness has definitively ended speculation about a return to Rangers management, telling The Telegraph that "that boat sailed for me." The 73-year-old icon, who won three titles as both player and manager at Ibrox, has faced repeated calls from fans to come back to the dugout, particularly during Rangers' struggles against Celtic in recent years. In 2023, Souness held informal discussions with then-chief executive James Bisgrove about an official return, and fresh murmurs surfaced following the American takeover last year.

However, Souness insists he does not miss football management after 880 games in the role across major clubs including Liverpool, Newcastle, Benfica and Galatasaray. While he occasionally wonders if he left too soon, he says the feeling passes quickly when he considers the modern manager's challenges. He believes players' commercial value now gives them too much leverage over managers, and that his personality was never suited to dealing with that dynamic. Despite stepping back from club work, Souness expressed deep gratitude for what football has given him, describing his life as "interesting" and "lucrative" beyond what a boy from Edinburgh could have imagined.