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Russell Martin holds no regrets from his turbulent spell as Rangers head coach and says abuse he received was difficult on those close to him.

Martin, 40, was sacked after Rangers’ first seven Scottish Premiership games this season, with the side eighth in the table.

He won five, drew six and lost six of his games overall. Only one of Martin’s wins came in the league, with his fifth Premiership draw at Falkirk proving to be his last game in charge.

His Rangers team also had a chastening exit from the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate defeat by Club Brugge, having beaten Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in the previous qualifying rounds.

“I don’t regret anything,” Martin told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.

“There’s loads of frustration for me as a coach and a manager and a leader but ultimately, it’s always your fault as a manager.

“It’s my fault I didn’t do well enough and you learn from it and I’ll be better for it, for sure.”

Martin had come under increasing pressure before his October exit and described his 123-day reign as “character building”.

“I love Glasgow as a city,” said the former Rangers and Scotland defender. “I loved living there.

Martin was the first head coach appointment of Rangers’ new owners last summer and oversaw a significant summer squad overhaul.

Since his departure, Rangers under Danny Rohl have climbed to third in the Premiership. The Ibrox side are a point below Celtic and three off leaders Hearts with eight games to go.

Martin suggested “less change so quickly” may have been a better approach and alluded to a lack of “cohesion” during his early period in charge.

“There was so much change,” said the former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton boss.

“I walked in to the club at a time of new owners that had literally been in there two weeks when I came in. New director of football, chief exec, head of performance, new head coach, 14 new players.

“I tried to stress a lot that it probably would take some time so that’s my fault because I was in a place where historically and traditionally you don’t really have time.

“I’d have loved the time to have built something and I felt that was what the club needed. The owners decided differently and they made their decision.”

Former Peterborough defender Emmanuel Fernandez and on-loan Tottenham winger Mikey Moore were signed by Martin and have become regulars under Rohl, contributing 11 goals between them.

“It’s no surprise to me that he’s gone on and done brilliantly,” Martin said of “outrageous talent” Moore, 18.

“Take people like Mani Fernandez. Going from Peterborough in League One to Rangers and playing in front of that crowd all of a sudden and it’s a completely different experience.

Russell Martin holds no regrets from his turbulent spell as Rangers head coach and says abuse he received was difficult on those close to him.

Martin, 40, was sacked after Rangers’ first seven Scottish Premiership games this season, with the side eighth in the table.

He won five, drew six and lost six of his games overall. Only one of Martin’s wins came in the league, with his fifth Premiership draw at Falkirk proving to be his last game in charge.

His Rangers team also had a chastening exit from the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate defeat by Club Brugge, having beaten Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in the previous qualifying rounds.

“I don’t regret anything,” Martin told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.

“There’s loads of frustration for me as a coach and a manager and a leader but ultimately, it’s always your fault as a manager.

“It’s my fault I didn’t do well enough and you learn from it and I’ll be better for it, for sure.”

Martin had come under increasing pressure before his October exit and described his 123-day reign as “character building”.

“I love Glasgow as a city,” said the former Rangers and Scotland defender. “I loved living there.

Martin was the first head coach appointment of Rangers’ new owners last summer and oversaw a significant summer squad overhaul.

Since his departure, Rangers under Danny Rohl have climbed to third in the Premiership. The Ibrox side are a point below Celtic and three off leaders Hearts with eight games to go.

Martin suggested “less change so quickly” may have been a better approach and alluded to a lack of “cohesion” during his early period in charge.

“There was so much change,” said the former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton boss.

“I walked in to the club at a time of new owners that had literally been in there two weeks when I came in. New director of football, chief exec, head of performance, new head coach, 14 new players.

“I tried to stress a lot that it probably would take some time so that’s my fault because I was in a place where historically and traditionally you don’t really have time.

“I’d have loved the time to have built something and I felt that was what the club needed. The owners decided differently and they made their decision.”

Former Peterborough defender Emmanuel Fernandez and on-loan Tottenham winger Mikey Moore were signed by Martin and have become regulars under Rohl, contributing 11 goals between them.

“It’s no surprise to me that he’s gone on and done brilliantly,” Martin said of “outrageous talent” Moore, 18.

“Take people like Mani Fernandez. Going from Peterborough in League One to Rangers and playing in front of that crowd all of a sudden and it’s a completely different experience.

Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Bournemouth winger Rayan have received first call-ups to the Brazil squad for their friendlies with France and Croatia later this month.

Thiago is the second-highest scorer in the Premier League season with 19, trailing only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland with 22, with his goals powering Brentford to seventh place in the table.

The 24-year-old joined the West London side for a club-record fee of £30m in July 2024 from Club Brugge, but failed to score in his first season with the club as injury restricted him to eight appearances.

Rayan, 19, joined Bournemouth in January for £24.7m from Vasco de Gama and has scored two Premier League goals.

Brazil face France on 26 March in Boston before playing Croatia in Orlando on 31 March, with the fixtures their last matches before Ancelotti names his World Cup selection.

Former Norwich attacker Gabriel Sara has also been selected for the first time, but the party is missing legendary forward Neymar, who is not fit.

“I haven’t called him up because he’s not 100 per cent,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the 34-year-old, who has not played for his national side since October 2023.

“But for the final [World Cup] squad, that’s another story.”

Sara, 26, left Championship Norwich for Galatasaray in July 2024 and won the Turkish Super League in his first season with the club.

Flamengo centre-back Leo Pereira, 30, is the fourth new name in the line-up, while striker Endrick has been recalled after making the last of his 14 international appearances a year ago.

The 19-year-old joined Lyon on loan from Real Madrid for the second half of this season, and scored a hat-trick against Metz in his second appearance for the club.

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce)

Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit Saint-Petersburg), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain), Wesley (Roma)

Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo) Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galarasaray)