Rangers suffer another blow in bid to fill vacant senior role
By Alex Stevens
Rangers have been struck by yet another major blow in their bid to appoint a director of football.
The club’s former manager Alex McLeish has ruled out the possibility that he could take over the newly created role of Ibrox transfer chief.
McLeish, who led Rangers to two Scottish titles and seven trophies in total, has been linked to the post after holding talks to become the new manager.
But the veteran of Scottish football insisted that he still regards himself foremost as a manager.
McLeish’s decison comes after the Mail and Scottish Sun reported that Huddersfield recruitment guru Stuart Webber and Ross Wilson, the Southampton head of recruitment and scouting, also rejected approaches from the club to become the new director of football.
Asked about the position, former defender McLeish told BT Sport 1 while on punditry duty for their live coverage of Aberdeen’s win against Hearts on Saturday: “I still feel that I’ve got coaching ability inside me that I want to try and get in with again, get into a club where I can maybe get success again.
“I want to be a coach so it’s a no.”
McLeish, 58, managed Rangers from 2001-2006 and led them to two league titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.
Rangers chiefs have sanctioned a complete revamp of the club’s football activities following a wretched campaign in which they have failed to offer any challenge to bitter rivals Celtic.
The Light Blues are 33 points adrift of the runaway Scottish league leaders, who are closing in on a sixth consecutive title that is likely to be sealed at the start of April.
New manager Pedro Caixinha had a memorable first game in charge last weekend, as Rangers demolished Hamilton 4-0 in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox.
But Celtic are marching on inexorably to the title and also have a domestic treble in their sights as they aim to maintain their grip on Scottish football.
In other Rangers news, one of the club’s midfielders has agreed the terms of a mammoth new deal.
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