NO SHUTDOWN FOR WILSON AS IBROX WORK NEVER STOPS

Rangers sporting director talks shop as the graft goes on

FOOTBALL might not have been played in Scotland for six long weeks now because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson hasn’t stopped.

“If you’d asked me before coronavirus if I could be as busy as this I wouldn’t have thought it possible,” said Wilson last night.

The former Falkirk, Watford, Huddersfield and Southampton recruitment specialist had a huge task on his hands when he was appointed back in October and that, despite the world being turned upside down, has not altered.

The overhaul and upgrade of the football department at Auchenhowie which the Scot initiated when he came in has proceeded apace despite players not being able to train due to social distancing restrictions.

And so, most importantly from the supporters’ point of view, has his work identifying potential signing targets for manager Steven Gerrard to strengthen his squad with.

How the transfer market will function in the summer remains shrouded in uncertainty due to the financial instability created by the worldwide shutdown of the game.

“All my time has been taken up running our football operations, alongside the manager where the first team is concerned and alongside Craig Mulholland where the academy is concerned,” he said. “My focus is on building the football side of things.”

“There are so many facets to the job of sporting director. When I took over six months ago I went on record as saying the foundations were strong.

“But there was a lot of work to do, a lot of building to do. One of the areas I was determined to build was our scouting network and we’ve been doing that in a big way.

“We have put a lot of work into building up our scouting team to where I want it to be. There will be people joining us post-coronavirus.”

He continued: “I have been working hard too with Steven and the coaches. From a leadership standpoint we have been keen to communicate as strongly as possible. Together we have been doing that.

“The coaches have also been working hard on the analysis of matches played this season, with a view to next season and where we might build our squad.

“We don’t know when the transfer window will open, and we don’t know what it will look like when it opens up, but we are trying to prepare for that as best we can.

“Steven and the coaches have been working with the scouts to go through lots of different profiles which might help us going forward. That ever-evolving list [of targets] is crucial.”

Rangers, who were 13 points behind Celtic at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership with a game in hand, two Old Firm derbies and nine matches in total still to be played, are keen for the 2019/20 season to be played to a finish when the shutdown is lifted.

Wilson has, along with Gerrard, helped to ensure that all of the first-team players are in peak condition and ready to return to action as quickly as possible it they are given the go-ahead to resume in the coming weeks.

“The health situation is at the forefront of our minds all the time, but we have tried to use it as positively as we can for our young players,” he said.

“It’s also been difficult for our senior players and we have ensured good communication with them throughout.

“We have players throughout Europe and in Britain and we are in touch all the time. Alfredo [Morelos] is the furthest away but we are in contact with him all the time.”

Wilson wrote to the SPFL last month to encourage them to consider every possibility when deciding how to restart football in the weeks ahead and he is hopeful the governing body, who have been at loggerheads with Rangers over the end of the season, take on board his points.

“What I saw from Dave Cormack [Aberdeen chairman] and other clubs was lots of enthusiasm and innovation and creativity to try and inject that into our way of thinking as a country,” he said.

“The first part of my letter was to support that viewpoint. Even if it ultimately proves to be an unsuccessful approach, I think that innovation and creativity to at least try and explore avenues was the first point I was supporting.

“And the second point was basically to ensure that we consult all stakeholders – and definitely players, managers and coaching staff – to see what their view is on the various things going on.”