Russell Martin for EFL return? Birmingham City & 2 other Championship clubs should have 40-y/o on radar | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at three EFL clubs that could appoint Russell Martin this summer

Russell Martin has been out of work in professional football ever since his dismissal from Scottish giants Rangers in October 2025, and could be set for a return to management in the EFL sooner rather than later.

Former Scotland international Russell Martin began his journey into management with Milton Keynes Dons, where his performances at the top job at the then League One side attracted the interest of Swansea City.

He'd make the leap to the Championship with the Welsh outfit and gained notoriety for his possession-based approach, encouraging his side to retain the ball as much as they could, and rarely forcing anything, instead remaining patient and wearing opponents down.

Southampton would appoint him in June 2023, and in his first season at the club, he'd guide them to promotion, beating Leeds United in the play-off final.

Since then, things have been downhill for Martin, as he'd win just one of his 16 games in charge of Southampton in the top flight before his dismissal, where his short stint with Rangers most recently has meant he's been out of work for nearly six months.

Ahead of the summer, FLW has taken a look at three potential clubs where the former defender could land next.

Birmingham City

Following their record-breaking 111-point season in League One last year, there was little doubt cast as to whether Chris Davies was the correct person to take Birmingham City into the Championship.

Davies had spent much of his career as a key member of Brendan Rodgers' staff at Swansea, Leicester City, and Celtic prior to taking the top job at St Andrews, and achieved that incredible feat in his first season as a number one.

Expectations were therefore high coming into this campaign, understandably, and with the season approaching a close, there is a sense of disappointment at the club, with the top-six places seemingly now out of reach.

Should Davies be dismissed following his perceived underperformance, Martin could be a viable candidate to take the reins.

Birmingham currently averages the fifth-highest average possession percentage in the division this season, with 54.5%, as per FotMob, so the squad would take little tweaking to adapt to Martin's possession-oriented style.

Having proven he knows how to get a side out of the league, whilst he may not be the most popular option, he certainly fits the mould as to what Blues owners look for in a boss.

Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers, like Birmingham, look like they will end their campaign in disappointment once again, having failed to mount a serious challenge for the top six, despite threatening at various stages.

Led by former Stade Rennes and Strasbourg boss Julien Stephan, the West London club are set to endure another frustrating year, as Stephan's place in the Loftus Road dugout could be under contention depending on how they finish the season.

Should the R's decide to part ways with the Frenchman, Martin could be a potential option for the club.

Although QPR are not expected to dominate games in terms of possession at this stage, their abundance of attacking talent would be attractive to any head coach, including Martin.

With the likes of Richard Kone, Rumarn Burrell, Ilias Chair, Koki Saito, Kwame Poku, and Karamoko Dembele in attack, they are certainly not short of quality at the top end of the pitch.

Martin could well get the best out of them, just as he did with Adam Armstrong, Che Adams, Ryan Fraser, and Stuart Armstrong with Saints, and should be considered a priority candidate if Stephan does depart.

West Bromwich Albion

West Brom find themselves in an unfamiliar position, with relegation to League One a serious possibility as the Championship season draws to a close.

The Baggies have long been synonymous with finishing in the top half of the second tier, or placing in the Premier League for the last 25 years, having never come close to dropping into the third tier in that time.

However, a torrid year has left them fighting for their lives at the foot of the table alongside Leicester, Oxford United, Portsmouth, and Blackburn Rovers, with two places in the bottom three still up for grabs.

Now led by former midfielder James Morrison after Ryan Mason's and Eric Ramsay's tenures ended in disaster, there remains hope at the Hawthorns that they will be a Championship club next year.

Should they indeed avoid the drop, a new boss will be a priority heading into the summer, and they should look to begin the rebuilding process under someone like Martin.

The Baggies squad, despite their standings, is packed with quality across the board, and Martin could well get the best out of the underperforming bunch.