SCOULD DIGGER
Ex-Ibrox fixer Chester helped new scout get started
ANDY SCOULDING is ready to return the favour at Ibrox after being handed his big break in football by one of the architects of nine in a row. Ewan Chester spent two decades at Ibrox and helped Graeme Souness, Walter Smith and Dick Advocaat win 35 major trophies, including 15 championship successes and the fabled nine titles. Those glory days, when Rangers reached the equivalent of the Champions League semi-final and the UEFA Cup Final, have been eclipsed by the success of Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic in recent seasons. New chief scout Scoulding is part of a new-look technical team put together by director of football Mark Allen as the club bid to restore their fortunes under a new manager. Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes remains the favourite to succeed Pedro Caixinha and Chester insists the former midfielder is the perfect fit for the club. The Rangers board are considering all options before moving for their preferred candidate but another few days won’t bother McInnes if he gets the nod as Chester revealed the former Morton skipper waited seven years for a switch to his boyhood idols. Chester was head of recruitment at Fulham for three years from 2005 when Chris Coleman was in charge and Scoulding was starting out on a career that would later take him to Liverpool and England with Roy Hodgson and Valencia under Gary Neville. He said: “Andy was a video analyst with Fulham and I got him to cross the line from analysis to scouting. I left Fulham in 2007 and Andy clearly struck up a rapport with Roy Hodgson when he replaced Chris because Roy took him to Liverpool and then on to England. “We remained on friendly terms. In fact, Andy even asked me to scout for England when Roy was in charge. “I ran the rule over four opponents between 2013 and 2014. I was with Norwich as director of player recruitment by then but manager Chris Hughton was happy to give his consent for my parttime international duty. “I’ve kept in touch with Andy and met him a few times since. We exchanged texts when he moved to Valencia with Gary Neville in 2015. I told him it was a challenge he couldn’t refuse to work in a different league, a new system and another style of player. I’m sure that experience will stand him in good stead. “He’s now taken on the extra responsibility at Rangers and it’s a great challenge for him
He struck up a rapport with Roy Hodgson who took him on to Liverpool and then England
EWAN CHESTER
at a fantastic club. I wish him well.” Chester once urged Walter Smith to sign Steven Davis from Fulham and was so confident the Northern Ireland skipper would be a hit in Scottish football he offered to fall on his sword if it didn’t work out.
Two of his most memorable captures for the Light Blues were Italian imports Lorenzo Amoruso and Marco Negri.
But one of the players he was proudest to see sign is McInnes. Chester added: “The arrival of Derek at Rangers in 1995 is one of the signings that gave me greatest satisfaction as we’d watched him for seven years.
“I first saw him playing for Morton at Meadowbank as a 16-year-old and his ball retention rate was fantastic but the vast majority of his distribution was square, back and deep.
“As he progressed and became captain at Cappielow he was far more influential and involved in set-plays, assists and I kept Walter Smith and Archie Knox fully informed.
“At 23 Derek’s time had come and he signed. He is one you always thought would go on to become a manager because he was tactically a very clever player.
“He’d be ideal as the next Rangers manager. He’s the best option by a country mile and ticks all the boxes. He’s served his apprenticeship and can’t take Aberdeen much further. He’s ready for the next stage in his career and has the personality to succeed at Ibrox.”
After qualifying as an FA licenced coach, Chester was employed at Oldham before catching Rangers’ attention. He also worked with mentor Archie Knox and pal Richard Gough in securing Livingston’s Premiership status.
He has worked with Fulham in the Premier League and also helped Norwich secure promotion to the top flight.
Brighton boss Hughton remains a pal and he also worked with him at Norwich and Birmingham where he was chief scout and football consultant.
Chester is mulling over offers from the MLS but would love to stay in the Scottish game and is still a regular at Premiership and Championship matches with Knox.
He added: “You’ve got to trust your instincts. In August 2012 the parent club of a young player told Chris and I we could have him for the season.
“Norwich fans were utterly underwhelmed. There was a barrage of criticism we could only come up with a raw teenager from Spurs.
“Harry Kane hasn’t done too badly for himself in the five years since!”