RINO GATTUSO, the former Rangers and AC Milan midfielder, is poised to bounce back into management in Italy with the World Cup winner being unveiled today as the new coach of Serie B side Novara.

The former Italy internationalist will take charge of the modest club from Piedmont, after turning down the chance to go back to AC Milan as a No.2 to Sinisa Mihajlovic after the Serb was appointed manager of the Serie A giants - who Gattuso spent 13 years with as a player.

Gattuso is desperate to prove himself as a manager in his own right, despite a series of short- lived jobs in Switzerland, Italy and Greece. The one-time Ibrox midfielder has admitted he wants to take charge of Rangers one day and was touted for the post after Ally McCoist was put on gardening leave.

Gattuso, whose wife Monica is Scottish, also applied for the vacancy at Hamilton Academical in January, only to lose out to Martin Canning.

The Italian media was stunned when Gattuso turned down Mihajlovic this week. The former Internazionale and Lazio player is taking over from Filippo Inzaghi - Gattuso's former team-mate - after the Rossoneri finished 10th in Serie A.

Instead, he has gone to a provincial club, based not far from his Milan home, and will sign just a one-year contract to try and restore Novara's fortunes. The club dropped two divisions in three years after finally reaching Serie A in 2012 but bounced straight back from the third tier.

"I have no more scrubbing up to do, I will consider only serious and important projects," Gattuso said this week, reckoning his rapid exits at Sion, Palermo and OFI Crete do not reflect his managerial status.

At Sion, Gattuso lasted just three months and only four months at Palmero - then in Serie B - and his Greek adventure was halted after six months, although all three clubs have a history of sacking bosses quickly.

Gattuso knew he was not a serious contender to replace McCoist because of the boardroom uncertainty at the time, but harbours hopes of returning to Ibrox one day.

"At this time the road [to the Rangers job] is far away," he said in January. "We can speak but the problem now is that there is not one chairman but five people in control of the club. It's difficult.

"I know the club has big problems at this moment but Rangers is still a big club with a big story behind it. For me it would be a big honour and opportunity to manage this club."