Monday 14 October 2019 10:44, UK
Rangers have appointed Ross Wilson as the club’s new sporting director after he left his role as director of football operations at Southampton.
Wilson replaces Mark Allen, who left his position as director of football at Ibrox last month after two years.
The 36-year-old had been linked with a move to Glasgow before Allen's appointment but stayed on the south coast.
He spent four-and-a-half years at the Premier League side after previously working in various roles at Falkirk, Watford and Huddersfield Town and will now return to Scotland to work alongside manager Steven Gerrard.
"Firstly, and I am sure it goes without saying, I am delighted to be joining Rangers. During recent weeks I have had really positive discussions with the club," Wilson told the Rangers website.
"The vision and passion shared collectively by the board and by Steven in terms of the plans to continue to build the club are exciting. Equally it was important that both the club and I shared the same understanding of what this role is and what the football model and culture inside the club needs to look like going forward.
"The board have been resolute in all of our discussions both now and when we spoke in the past about what the club needs to look like and I am proud that they believe that I can help build the club upon standards that we all agree are right for Rangers.
"Having worked in football leadership for the last 15 years and for almost a decade in England now is a good time for me to return to Glasgow and be a part of this famous club. I am excited to start next month.
"Steven and his coaching team are doing a great job with things on the pitch, along with the players of course. I know some of the squad already and the others I will get to know quickly in the coming weeks. Steven and I are in regular contact and I am looking forward to working with him and developing our relationship further."
Wilson said his role will see him dealing with the club's operations and "football infrastructure", which will include the Rangers academy.
"This role is of course about continuing the development and growth of the club's football operations and football infrastructure across the whole club," he added. "In that regard I am looking forward to working in and developing all areas of our football departments and none more so than the academy with Craig Mulholland and his team.
"I have chosen to leave a fantastic job and people who I am really close to. Southampton isn't an easy place to leave and it had to be a really interesting opportunity to consider leaving behind what I had there.
"This job, at this stage in my career, was one I felt I had to take and I am both excited and determined to ensure that in working together with the board, Steven and all of our staff we can continue to build an excellent, modern football infrastructure and a winning Rangers."
Wilson joined Southampton in 2015, initially as director of scouting and recruitment, before going on to oversee the club's football operations.
Southampton CEO Martin Semmens said: "From the moment Ross made me aware of the opportunity to return home to Scotland, it was clear that this was an opportunity he could not turn down at this time.
"I would like to put on record, on behalf of everyone involved in the club, our thanks for the tireless hard work and energy Ross has given to Saints over the last five years. Ross will leave the club with our best wishes on Tuesday 15th October.
"As the club has made clear over the past six months, we are reviewing all our football and non-football operations, to make sure we are best placed to enable a successful future for The Southampton Way. We will now seek to appoint a new Football Director in keeping with this vision for the club."
