Rangers news: Club inundated with manager applications

Stewart Robertson has revealed Rangers will appoint a “top calibre” manager in succession to Mark Warburton.

The Ibrox managing director explained the club are currently sifting through applications before drawing up a shortlist of candidates to interview.

Sharing the latest on the Scottish giants’ manager search, Robertson said the board have been “inundated” with applications for the post.

He also revealed that the club will appoint a director of football as part of a shake-up of the club’s recruitment structure.

This follows the triple exit on Friday night of Warburton, his assistant David Weir and head of recruitment Frank McParland.

“We are currently looking at potential managers for the club,” said Robertson to the official Rangers website. “We already have a database of potential names that we are aware of and who we have done some diligence on already.

“We’ve been inundated with lots of people already sending us applications for the position. We are sifting through those applications and then we will draw up a shortlist and look to interview.”

Robertson also explained some of the characteristics the Rangers board will want the new manager to possess.

“I think we need a strong character, with a strong mentality,” he added to the Rangers site. “Someone who understands and gets what Rangers is all about.

“Whoever comes in is going to get the backing, there will be financial resources in terms of taking the club forward.

“But most of all we need someone who is a winner and someone who gets what this is all about and what Rangers is all about, which is winning. We are looking for the highest calibre possible, a club of this standing deserves the highest quality of manager.

“We need someone with character and someone who can work under the pressures that they will face working at Rangers.”

Robertson made it clear that a technical director will be appointed to take charge of recruitment in what appears to be a departure from the system in which McParland was in charge of transfers.

Rangers chairman Dave King was highly critical of the club’s recruitment last summer when the board were persuaded by Warburton to buy 11 new players rather than the five to six they had initially planned.

Joey Barton, Nico Kranjcar, Philippe Senderos and Jordan Rossiter were among the flop signings brought in by the McParland and company.

“It is important to say that we are also looking at a director of football role and that will be a key appointment for the structure of the club,” added Robertson to the official site.

“We have a very clear plan for how we are going to take this football club forward.

“It needs to be a modern football club, we are sitting here in the trophy room and we want to bring back the days where we are adding to the collection of trophies that we have here.”

Rangers manager search update, shortlist to be drawn up