Ex Rangers boss 'excited' by 49ers cash injection as he provides Ibrox insight into club's recruitment policy

Russell Martin is preparing for a squad overhaul similar to the one former Rangers boss Mark Warburton faced - albeit the ex-Scotland international will have a £20 million transfer pot to spend this summer.

The former Southampton boss was handed the task of reconstructing the Light Blues’ first-team squad as part of a new regime in charge at Ibrox last week after being appointed on a three-year deal.

And the significant cash injection from the club’s new American owners fronted by 49ers Enterprises and health tycoon Andrew Cavenagh will have to be spent wisely if Martin is to make any inroads into the gap between the Gers and four-in-a-row champions Celtic.

The arrival of Martin, Cavenagh and the 49ers offers supporters hope for a brighter future and ex-Rangers caretaker boss Stuart McCall - a prominent figure of the club’s nine-in-a-row era - reckons fresh investment provides fresh cause for optimism as he offered an insight into the club’s recruitment policy.

“I'm excited about it,” McCall stated. “It's nice just to get a bit of positive news because the supporters have been through it in the last few seasons. When the club won the title under Steven Gerrard, everyone thought, ‘That'll be the platform to go on and be successful and to build’. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

“I watched almost every Rangers game this season gone and it's been a tough watch. But like the summer after I left, this might be an opportunity to clear things out and start again. Looking in, the recruitment in the last couple of years has not helped. It's been really poor.

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Stuart McCall provides insight into Rangers recruitment policy

“When you're recruiting for Rangers, you're not recruiting just good players. First and foremost, it has to be guys who can go through the shit and come out the other side. If you're signing for Rangers, you should be a decent player. You’re expected to be in the top two teams in that league so you're expected to win most games.

“But when push comes to shove and you need to go to Aberdeen and win, it isn’t about being a good player. It’s more than that. It’s about being a strong character. You can win 20, 30 odd games a season in Glasgow but if you don't finish top, it doesn't matter. So, that's why it's about recruitment.”