STUART McCall was today urged to consider handing Rangers captain Lee McCulloch a player/coach role at Ibrox if he is kept on as manager.

McCulloch is out of contract at the end of the 2014/15 campaign along with no fewer than 10 of his Gers team-mates.

And it is unclear if the former Scotland internationalist, who turns 37 next month, will be retained by his boyhood heroes beyond the summer.

The lifelong Gers supporter has publicly admitted he would like to be handed an extension to his current deal when it expires.

However, his form, along with that of many members of the Light Blues squad, has often been unconvincing during what has been a difficult season.

And the centre half's ordering off in the SPFL Championship showdown with champions Hearts at Ibrox on Sunday has not done his chances any good.

He was given a straight red card from referee Bobby Madden for a forearm smash on Osman Sow of Hearts before half-time - when his side was leading 2-0.

That rash act angered disbelieving supporters and seriously jeopardised his team's chances of recording an important victory.

Former Rangers skipper Craig Paterson was working at the game as a pundit for BBC Radio Scotland at the weekend and could understand their frustration.

But Paterson is adamant that McCulloch still has a great deal to offer his old club - either on the park as a player or off it as a coach.

The former Motherwell and Wigan Athletic man has spent time during his last two summers working towards gaining his Uefa Pro Licence.

And when Ally McCoist was put on gardening leave in December and Kenny McDowall was appointed caretaker boss he stepped in to help out with training.

Paterson reckons retaining a player with his vast experience of European and international football could be hugely beneficial to Rangers.

He said: "The question has to be: 'Would he be able to play on at the level Rangers are at?' But, for me, if you're fit enough you're young enough.

"I think that Stuart McCall will be 100 per cent focused on getting Rangers promoted via the play-offs this season.

"So he can't look that far ahead. When that is done he can worry about how to keep on. It will be interesting to see what happens.

"Does Lee himself still think he can play another season? He is at an age where he has to start thinking of his next move.

"I don't know if coaching is in Lee's future. He may want to look for a player/coach role as he approaches the end of his career. Whether that is at Rangers or somewhere else remains to be seen.

"But having somebody with his experience, somebody who has played up front, in midfield and at the back, is invaluable and should interest clubs. He covers all bases."

Paterson added: "It certainly improved my game having experienced players helping me when I was a young player coming through.

"They can talk to you in games, after training sessions and tell you what is required to play at a professional level.

"I was in my early twenties when I got to Rangers, but Peter McCloy and Derek Johnstone were a huge help to me.

"These were guys who had won a European trophy as well as league titles and cups. When guys like that tell you something you tend to take notice!

"With some people you do look at them and think: 'How would you know?' But these guys had been there and done it in the game.

"Peter was great and spoke to you constantly during games. Derek, meanwhile, was an international quality both up front and at the back.

"If you were having trouble with a player doing a certain thing or with a team playing a certain way then Derek would have an answer. These guys can be worth their weight in gold to a club."

Paterson believes working under McCall, who has only signed a short-term deal until the end of the season, would help McCulloch develop as a coach.

He has been greatly impressed by the former midfielder during his stints in charge at both Motherwell and at Rangers.

The Nine-In-A-Row great has turned around the fortunes of the club he represented with such distinction back in the 1990s.

After a difficult start, McCall has steered his side to successive wins over Hibs away and Cowdenbeath and Hearts at home.

Hopes are now high among supporters that Rangers can clinch promotion back to the top flight via the end-of-season play-offs.

Paterson has been impressed with how the interim Gers manager has changed his set-up to suit the opposition.

He said: "The brilliant thing for Rangers fans is that Stuart McCall has used different formations and different sets of players since coming in.

"I thought he would stick with the 3-5-2 set-up when it worked so well against Hibs at Easter Road last month.

"It can't have been an easy thing for a Rangers manager to say to his side: 'We have to stop them playing. We need to nullify the threat they pose in the middle of the park.' But it did the trick.

"I thought he would keep faith with his three centre-backs against Hearts and make themselves hard to beat.

"But he decided to field a 4-4-2 and attack Hearts at home. Rangers were comfortable, scored two nice goals and should have won comfortably.

"Hibs will come back. They had been on a run where they had only suffered one defeat in 22 games. Now they have lost three in a row. They can turn things around.

"But Rangers have shown improvement and I am sure they will be confident of success when they go into the play-offs."