ALLY MCCOIST would happily take former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith at Rangers if Steven Gerrard was to depart Ibrox.

The Liverpool legend is the heavy favourite to replace Smith at Villa after he was axed over the weekend.

Smith, who led the club back to the top flight, has paid the price for the team’s disappointing form this season with Villa having lost their last five games.

Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton proved the final act for Smith, that result leaving the side with just 10 points from their opening 11 games.

A supporter wrote in to talkSPORT this morning asking McCoist if he would take Smith at Ibrox if Gerrard was to depart and he said: “I really like Dean Smith. I would have no problem with him being at my club."

Smith, a lifelong Villa fan, had been in charge for three years. The former Brentford boss took over with the club 15th in the Championship in October 2018.

He led them to promotion via the play-offs in his first season and then went on to keep them in the Premier League, and reach the Carabao Cup final, the following year.

They finished 11th last season but lost star player Jack Grealish to Manchester City in the summer and have been unable to build on their recent progress this term.

Most bookmakers are offering odds of around 6/4 for Rangers manager Gerrard to be tempted down south by the Villa role, while Denmark boss Kasper Hjumland (4/1), former Villa assistant John Terry (4/1), ex-Roma manager Paulo Fonesca (4/1) and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard (12/1) are also in the frame.