A member of Rangers 2004/05 double-winning team has secured a return to the world of coaching

A former Rangers left-back has secured a return to the world of coaching after a hiatus from the game.

Gregory Vignal was a successful signing that arrived on loan from English heavyweights Liverpool during Alex McLeish’s penultimate season in charge. The French defender racked up 40 appearances during his time at Ibrox, chipping in with two goals and three assists as the Light Blues dramatically clinched the league title on the final day of the season, in what is now commonly referred to as 'Helicopter Sunday' due to the aircraft ceremonially delivering the championship trophy changing direction in mid-flight as the identity of its winners altered suddenly.

The left-back, who represented France at Under-21 level on four occasions, only ever spent one season at Ibrox, but despite this featured more times for Rangers than at any other team in his career. Rangers wanted him to sign a permanent contract with them; however, he failed to agree terms, instead opting to move to Portsmouth. They instead signed former Newcastle United defender Oliver Bernard, who struggled with injuries during his time at Ibrox - making just nine appearances.

Gregory Vignal agrees Blackburn Rovers deal

Gregory Vignal is the new Blackburn Rovers Under-21s Head Coach. A club statement says: “The 44-year-old brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience, and will now play a key role in developing the next generation of Rovers talent.”

Blackburn have had a good reputation at promoting players from the academy in recent seasons. They notably gave Adam Wharton his breakthrough in English football before his move to Crystal Palace as well as other names such as David Raya, Darragh Lenihan, Junior Holiett, Phil Jones and Grant Hanley.

Vignal has experience in academy environments such as Montpellier, Marseille and Rangers, where he would later become part of Steven Gerrard’s support staff.

He has also held managerial roles with Rangers Women and Versailles, who compete in the third tier of French football.

Gregory Vignal reveals he spoke to Celtic icon Kenny Dalglish

Gregory Vignal says he had conversations with Kenny Dalglish before diving back into the world of football coaching. Dalglish, who kickstarted his career at Celtic grew up supporting Rangers. He also managed the Hoops briefly before Martin O’Neill’s arrival.

“I’m really delighted to be here,” said Vignal. “This is a great opportunity for me and England is where I always wanted to work.

“To be the new Under-21s Head Coach for Blackburn Rovers is an amazing feeling, because of the size and the history of this football club, and I believe this is one of the best Academies in the country for producing top players.

“I also spoke with Sir Kenny Dalglish a few days ago and he told me great things about the environment at this football club. I believe this Academy is special and I’m really looking forward to getting started.

“Our job is to make sure the players are ready to step up. We want to create like a first team environment within the Under-21s squad, where the players are fitter, stronger and ready to go, because when the manager needs them, they have to be ready. So they need to understand the process and they have to trust the process, which is really important for me.”

Head of academy Paul Gray added: “We had a really robust interview process, after a lot of applications, and in the end we came out with two extremely strong candidates, and we’re really pleased to welcome Greg to the club and looking forward to him sharing his knowledge and experience.”