Goldson would be joining ‘a giant of a club’ if he goes to Ibrox says Martin

● Defender tells Rangers target the Govan outfit are just ‘waiting for lift-off’

Russell Martin says Rangers target Connor Goldson will be joining a “giant of a football club” if he makes the switch from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 32-year-old has just completed a loan spell at Ibrox that, by his own admission, was a case of “wrong place, wrong time,” but insists he wouldn’t discourage others, including Goldson, from trying their luck in Scotland.

Claiming that Goldson has to decide whether he wants to join Rangers to compete for honours, or keep trying to make a name for himself in the English Premier League, Martin said: “For Connor at this stage of his career, it will be for him to decide whether he wants to go up the road and compete to win things, or whether he has a burning desire to stay [in England] and try to get playing regularly in the Premier League.”

Defender Goldson has played 41 times for Brighton since joining from Shrewsbury, and his performances have caught the eye of the Rangers recruitment team, with Rangers keen on adding the 25-year-old to their ranks ahead of the new season.

The Seagulls have already rejected two bids for the defender but are braced for further offers from Glasgow.

“I don’t think anything can prepare you for [joining Rangers],” 0 Brighton defender Connor Goldson, has attracted two bids by Rangers. Former Ibrox defender Russell Martin, inset, recommends he signs although for him it was the ‘wrong time, wrong place’. Martin told the Argus. “It’s huge. You’ve got some idea [how huge] but it’s only when you go up there that you realise just how big it is. Just walking around the streets… it’s a giant of a football club with a great fanbase,” he added.

The Scotland international told the Argus: “It is some football club. If anyone asked me, ‘would you sign there’ I’d always recommend doing it. They’ve got everything there, it’s just waiting for lift-off.

“They’ve had a tough four or five years but they are steadying the ship and turning it around,” Martin added.

The Scotland international said he enjoyed his time at Ibrox but felt the turbulence behind the scenes had an impact.

Martin was brought to the clubbyinterimmanagergraeme Murty and Mark Allen, but the stand-in boss was relieved of his duties with three games of the season left. Martin made 17 appearances for Rangers but was in the defence that shipped nine goals to Celtic in two matches.

“I loved playing for a football club of that size and that support,” Martin said. “But for me it was a bit wrong place, wrong time. The club was a bit all over the place and then a change of manager, who was an interim manager anyway.”

Martin’s own future at Norwich City is uncertain after nearly a decade at Carrow Road, with manager Daniel Farke appearing to favour youth over experience.

Aware his time with the Canaries could be coming to an end, Martin added: “I think I’ll have to go somewhere else to play my football, so I’ll consider all options.”

A return to Ibrox would appear highly unlikely, but Martin insists new manager Steven Gerrard’s presence will be a big lure for some players.

“It will certainly help attract players.theywillwanttowork with someone of his experience and magnitude in the game,” Martin said. “Trying to sign players in their prime – like Connor, at that level, and on big wages… it’ll be helped by having Gerrard there.” Frank Lampard has resumed talks with Derby about becoming their new manager, it is understood.

Negotiations are believed to be at an advanced stage, with contractual issues now being discussed.

Derby have been without a manager since Gary Rowett left to take over at Stoke last week, and Lampard has been an odds-on favourite with the bookmakers to fill the vacant position at Pride Park for much of that time.

The former West Ham and Chelsea midfielder, 39, is looking to take his first step into management after a glittering playing career and he confirmed over the weekend that he had been talking with the Rams.

“There’s been interest from Derby and I’ve been speaking with them,” Lampard said as a BT Sport pundit during Saturday night’s Champions League final coverage in Kiev.

He added: “I’m ambitious and I want to become a manager at some point. It’s a big club, with a big tradition and a big history, which I really like. We’ll carry on speaking and we’ll see.” Those talks have resumed and Derby hope to be in a position to make an announcement this week.

As a player, Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League as well as earning 106 England caps.