Peterborough right-back Russell Martin joined Norwich on loan on 25th November 2009, until 4th January 2010.

On the capture of Martin, manager Paul Lambert told the club's official website: "I had him as a player at Wycombe and he did brilliantly for me there. When I was leaving Wycombe at the time he came to me and said he had the opportunity to join Peterborough, which he went on to do and again he has been brilliant from them. Captaining them to promotion shows he has resilience and that winning mentality which is what we have here. He is coming in to a vibrant squad and it is up to him now to stake his claim for a place in the team."

The 23-year-old joined Peterborough from Wycombe Wanderers in the summer of 2008 having previously started his career at his home-town club of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Martin made a total of 142 appearances in all competitions for Wycombe, scoring five goals and reaching the 2007-08 play-off semi-finals under Paul Lambert, where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Stockport County.

His move to London Road saw him become a first team regular at right-back, and in his first season with the Posh he captained the club to automatic promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship. He has made 66 appearances for Peterborough in all competitions, scoring one goal.

Having made seven starts for the Canaries whilst on loan, Russell transferred to City for an undisclosed fee on 4th January 2010 signing a 2 and a half year contract. He finished the season with 27 appearances as Norwich won the League One title)

A fine start to the Championship campaign with Norwich saw Martin linked by The Sun and Sky Sports with a switch to Blackburn on 27th December 2010 for a reported £600k

Norwich won a second promotion, moving up to the Premiership, on 2nd May 2011 with a 1-0 win at Portsmouth with Martin playing a key role (49 appearances, 5 goals) for the Canaries. He was runner up in the Player of the Year award

Called up to the Scotland squad, he made his debut for Scotland on 25th May 2011 as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Wales.

Russell finished the 2011/12 season with 37 appearances abd 2 goals as Norwich finished 12th in the Premier League. He made 34 appearances the following season as City finished 11th in the Premier League.

He made 35 appearances in the 2013/14 season in which Norwich were relegated from the Premier League.

Martin was named as Norwich's club captain for the 2014/15 season on 11th July 2014. Manager Neil Adams said “Russell is someone who can lead by example, he’s an excellent example of how a professional should conduct himself and he’s an excellent player as well. He is the captain and he’s the singular captain this year. I know in previous seasons here there’s been a team captain and a club captain – but I think it’s better to have one. And Russ is the one I’ve chosen. It’s important to stress as well – and I’ve spoken to Russ and the team about it – that with Russ being the team captain doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed starting place every week. He’s the same as everyone else in terms of being a squad player. You hope your captain is in the team but he knows if he isn’t playing well, then we will pick another captain for the day. Results are the only thing that matter – but to get those results you need to set the right examples. Not just on the training ground or in games, but off the pitch as well. The discipline, the wellbeing of players, the way to be a professional – you need someone who does all that automatically.”

In April 2015, Martin was named in the Championship Team of the Season.

Martin made 49 appearances for City in 2014/15 scoring twice. He played in both Championship play-off semi-finals as well as in the 2-0 Championship Play-off final victory over Middlesbrough on 25th May 2015

Martin made 29 appearances for City in 2015/16, scoring three goals, as the Canaries were relegated from the Premier League.

In July 2016, there was media speculation linking Martin with a return to Brighton.

Martin made 40 appearances in 2016/17 which took him to over 300 appearances for City. He also scored two goals.

After the 4-0 defeat to Millwall in August 2017, Martin didn't appear in the first team. This led to reports in the Daily Record linking him with a loan move to Scottish giants Rangers in the January 2018 transfer window.He eventually signed for Rangers on 16th January 2018. Martin said "At this stage in my career to come here, it really excites me. It's a challenge as well. Huge football club. It was the one that I really wanted to happen. There was other offers from the Championship in England so I'm really pleased to get it done."Rangers' boss Graeme Murty knows Martin from his time at Carrow Road. He made 17 appearances for Rangers

Russell left Norwich on 31st August 2018 by mutual consent after he had been left playing with the Under-23s. He said "It's not been easy for anyone, this situation I've been in. I really appreciate the fact that the club and I have agreed to do it, basically because it means I'm free to go and play football somewhere and start again.The last year hasn't been ideal and it hasn't ended as how I would have wanted it to, but I'll always care for this football club and the people involved with it," Russell then joined West Brom on trial in September 2018.

On 19th October 2018, he joined League One side Walsall as Player-Coach until the end of the 2018/19 season. Saddlers manager Dean Keates played alongside Martin while at Peterborough.

Martin left Walsall in January 2019 for family reasons and joiend MK Dons on 15th January 2019. He helped them win promotion to League One on 4th May 2019 and was coaching at the Dons whilst studying for his UEFA Pro License. On 3rd November 2019, he was appointed as manager of MK Dons following the sacking the previous day of Paul Tisdale. Dons chairman Pete Winkelman said "Ever since Russell joined the club, we recognised his potential to one day become a manager, It's certainly happening faster than we expected but I'm excited to give Russell the chance and show us all what we can do."

Martin had a testimonial on 6th May 2019 captaining a side of former Canaries against a similar side managed by former teammate Wes Hoolahan.

On 17th February 2021 he was linked by Bristol Live with the vacant managerial position at Bristol City following the sacking of Dean Holden with Michael Appleton and Paul Cook also being linked.

On 1st August 2021 Martin left MK Dons to take charge of Swansea City following the departure of Steve Cooper. The Swans hierarchy were impressed by his style of play as he took the Dons to 13th place in League One, implementing an attractive style that saw the Dons sit behind only Manchester City and Barcelona in Europe when it came to their dominance of possession. Martin signed a three year deal. “We are delighted with the appointment of Russell as our new head coach,” said Swansea City chief executive, Julian Winter. “He very much fits the profile of a young and hungry coach who wants to succeed, and he is more than ready for the opportunity. When it became clear we would be looking for a new head coach, at the forefront of our thoughts was finding a candidate who was ambitious, driven and with a clear vision of how he wants the team to play. After earning plaudits with Milton Keynes Dons for the attractive, attacking style that he implemented, we quickly realised Russell would be the right person to take us forward. We were also seeking someone with a passion for working with and developing young players. Russell ticks all those boxes. While his coaching philosophy is clear, Russell also enjoyed a fine playing career that saw him amass over 500 senior appearances.He captained Peterborough and Norwich, as well as winning promotion on five separate occasions, which tells you everything about his leadership qualities and winning mentality.”

In November 2021 he was linked with both the managerial vacancies at his former clubs Norwich City and Rangers. He was second favourite for the Rangers job before it went to Giovanni van Bronckhorst

On 19th May 2022 it was reported that Martin had turned down an approach to become Watford manager with the Hornets eventually turning to Rob Edwards. "My agent rang me two weeks ago and said there's a club that would like to speak to you. I said I had absolutely no interest because we are really happy here,” said Martin.

On 9th September 2022, The Athletic reported that Martin was on the shortlist for the vacant Brighton managers' position following the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea. The Ahtletic claim Martin is on a shortlist alongside Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper, Luton Town's Nathan Jones and Bodo/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen. Martin of course started his career at Brighton.

In October 2022 following a poor run of form by Norwich, speculation had it that Norwich would turn to Martin as a replacement for manager Dean Smith. He dismissed this speculation insisting that he is happy at Swansea and that Norwich have a good manager. "They have a really good manager, Dean," he said of Norwich. "I still know a lot of people at the club, a lot of good friends in and around the area, but that's as far as it goes. They’ve got a great manager in Dean. I've got no doubt that they'll pick up results again at some point soon so not really [paying attention to speculation]. We're in a job that we absolutely love with people we absolutely love doing it with. That’s the most important thing really"

In mid-May 2023 Russell was reported to be the first choice for the manager's position at Southampton, newly relegated to the Championship with reports that Southampton had eebn interviewing candidates to replace caretaker Ruben Selles and that Martin had been invited to the USA to meet the Southampton board. He was finally confirmed as the Saints' manager on 21st June 2023. He said "My aim is to get this club back where it belongs - in the top flight of English football. I am ready for this challenge and will give everything to achieve this aim and to give the supporters a team that makes them proud. "I'm thrilled to be here and cannot wait for the work to begin."

At the end of his first season, Russell led Southampton back to the Premier League beating Daniel Farke's Leeds United 1-0 in the Championship play-off final on 26th May 2024.

In the summer of 2024 it was reported that following the break up of his marriage, Russell had found new companionship in the form of former glamour model Lucy Pinder who is also a Southampton fan.

Martin was sacked as Southampton manager on 15th December 2024 after a 5-0 thrashing at home to Tottenham, which saw them nine points from Premier League safety. It was their 13th defeat from 16 Premier League games. "Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world," said a Southampton statement. "However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the play-off final win in May."

On 14th May 2025 it was reported by The Pink Un that Martin was not in the running to replace Johannes Hoff Thorup as Norwich head coach despite featuring heavily in the betting odds. There has been no contact from the Canaries with City’s former promotion-winning captain over a potential return to Norfolk in the three weeks since the Dane's dismissal. Martin has also been strongly linked to Rangers and Leicester City 

On 5th June 2025 he was appointed manager of Scottish giants Rangers, succeeding Philippe Clement and signing a three year deal., Matt Gill will be his assistant. Martin said "It is a privilege to be named head coach of Rangers Football Club at the beginning of this exciting new chapter. I know what this club demands. From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history. Now, as I return, I’m determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club. I’m here to set standards, work hard and do my very best to earn the respect of the Rangers fans. There’s a lot to be done, but the goal is clear: win matches, win trophies, and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of. We want to play with bravery, to take the ball, to be aggressive, and to stand up in the big moments. Preparations for pre-season are already underway. I look forward to meeting the players and building a squad that our fans can believe in."

Former Real Madrid assistant Davide Ancelotti, Rob Edwards, Gary O'Neil and Steven Gerrard were also linked to the vacancy, but incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell has explained why Martin fit the bill. "He has emerged as the outstanding candidate, Russell comes to Rangers with hard-earned experience. His time in the Premier League has sharpened his approach, both tactically and personally. He’s better for it, and we believe that will translate into the kind of leadership and performance our supporters expect. His teams play dominant football, they control the ball, dictate the tempo and impose themselves physically. They press aggressively and work relentlessly off the ball. These are all characteristics that we believe are required to be successful at home, away, and abroad.