NafisaRangers are set to appoint a new head coach in the “coming days”, according to the Ibrox side’s newly-installed sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
On his first official day in the role, Thelwell provided an update on the search for Philippe Clement’s replacement — which has been ongoing since February — and confirmed that technical director Nils Koppen will be departing Rangers.
Outgoing Real Madrid assistant coach Davide Ancelotti remains the front-runner to take over at Rangers, with ex-Swansea and Southampton manager Russell Martin also strongly linked. Steven Gerrard is said to have withdrawn from contention.
The 51-year-old, who has stepped away from a similar post at Everton, told the Rangers website: “It’s a great honour to be joining Rangers, particularly at such an exciting moment in the club’s history.
“While there has been significant work going on in the background prior to my arrival, that naturally accelerates from today, and top of the priority list will be the appointment of a new Head Coach for our men’s first-team.
“That search has been progressing well, and the club and I look forward to bringing that to a conclusion in the coming days.”
Rangers also announced that Thelwell had brought Dan Purdy with him from Everton to succeed Nils Koppen as technical director. Koppen, who joined from PSV Eindhoven in December 2023 — initially as director of football recruitment — will collaborate with Thelwell and Purdy to “support a smooth handover”.
Purdy’s role at Rangers:
Purdy spent more than a decade at Everton focusing on scouting and analysis, and most recently served as head of recruitment. Rangers stated that he will now oversee recruitment and scouting across the men’s, women’s and academy setups.
Thelwell arrives following a three-year spell at Everton. His past experience includes working for the Football Association of Wales and leading youth academies at Preston, Derby, and Wolves — the first two under former Rangers midfielder Billy Davies. He also held the position of head of sport at New York Red Bulls for two years before making the move to Everton.
“This is a new chapter for Rangers, and while we recognise success won’t come easy, our goal is clear: we need to win,” he said. “My focus is on delivering that, with discipline and ambition. We’ll give everything to move this club forward as quickly and sustainably as we can.”
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