Ross Wilson has decided to reject Rangers in order to stay with Southampton.
General view outside Ibrox
According to the Daily Record, Southampton’s Ross Wilson has turned down the chance to become Rangers’ Director of Football, bringing an end to the pursuit.
With former recruitment chief Frank McParland leaving the club along with Mark Warburton, Rangers have decided to alter their structure, and want to bring in a Director of Football.
A host of names have been linked with the job, but Southampton’s Ross Wilson has emerged as the top target for the job in the last fortnight – but that pursuit now looks to be over.
The Daily Record report that Wilson has decided to reject the Rangers job and will stay at Southampton, with the Scot deciding to stay as their Director of Scouting rather than return north of the border.
Rangers must now turn their attentions elsewhere, but one man who may have backed a move for Wilson is the man who just left Ibrox, former manager Warburton.
Speaking back in October 2016, Warburton – as quoted by Inside Futbol – told a press conference that the correct model for developing young players was on show at Southampton, who have earned a reputation for signing and progressing top youngsters.
“If you look at the UEFA Youth League for example, which took over from the NextGen tournament, it’s only open to the youth teams of the Champions League qualifiers,” said Warburton. “So I would look at someone like Southampton. [They have] a magnificent academy, [are] a magnificent club for bringing through young talent, but they haven’t qualified for the UEFA Youth League.”
“So Southampton are doing so many things right, with a fantastic record, but how do their young players get exposed to that level of tournament? We need to have them [Scottish youngsters] in games where they have to go to Rome and win 1-0, where they have to get a point at home to qualify, or they need to win by two to get through the qualifying group,” he added.
General view outside Ibrox
Wilson would have brought an inside knowledge of Southampton’s approach to youth development and scouting to Ibrox, and whilst Warburton – nor expected new manager Pedro Caixinha – will get to work with him, there could be a man with great pedigree arriving in Glasgow.
With Wilson out of the running, Paul Mitchell is now believed to be Rangers’ top target, and he can also boast having worked at Southampton, whilst he has just left Tottenham Hotspur.
Working for two of the best-run clubs in English football should stand Mitchell in good stead, and whilst Warburton may have loved the moves Rangers are making right now, it’s important that Caixinha has a strong relationship with whoever arrives as the club’s Director of Football.
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