Former Polish star Radosław Kaluzny has demanded Steven Gerrard is removed from the shortlist to take charge of his national team...because he only managed at 'mediocre' Rangers and Aston Villa.

The ex-Ibrox boss is one of three men on the shortlist to take charge of the Poles, along with South Korea boss Paulo Bento, and ex-Switzerland boss Vladimir Petkovic.

However, outspoken former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kaluzny - who won 41 caps for Poland and played in the 2002 World Cup - reckons the Liverpool icon should be nowhere near the job.

He pointed out: "I would remove Gerrard from this list immediately. We need a good manager, not a good ex-player. The Englishman was an excellent player, but today he is an apprentice in the management profession.

"He managed two mediocre clubs and didn't do that good a job at either of them.

"Entrusting him with our team would be like a game of Russian roulette.

"The national team is not a training ground for managers who want to practice.

"I have no problem choosing a foreign coach, but not Gerrard. One with international experience would be good and someone who won't leave at the first sign of a club job."

Meanwhile, James Tavernier is keen to complete the set of major Scottish honours as he prepares himself for the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Sunday.

The Rangers skipper, who signed from Wigan in 2015, lifted the cinch Premiership trophy in 2021 and the Scottish Cup last season.

Tavernier, 31, believes the 2-0 final win over Hearts last May – the first major cup to come to Ibrox since 2011 – will help with confidence.

Speaking at the national stadium, the full-back said: “It would mean everything. It is obviously a cup that most of us haven’t got and it is obviously something that we set our sights on.

“We obviously won the Scottish Cup last season and there is a lot of experience in the team of winning the trophy.

“It is in our sights to try to get the League Cup back at Ibrox so we will be doing everything at the weekend to try to get to the final.

“Everyone who was here last season got a taste of winning a domestic cup and you want more days like that to share it with the fans and family. It can be a special day.

“But we obviously have an important game against Aberdeen and we want to get past them to the final.”