I've covered Kevin Thelwell's spell as Everton sporting director - here's what Rangers can expect from new recruitment chief

An insider's view into Rangers newly-appointed sporting director who will join the Ibrox club once his Goodison Park contract expires

Rangers-bound Kevin Thelwell has been confirmed as the club’s new sporting director and will begin his new role at Ibrox once his contract at Premier League side Everton expires this summer.

The 51-year-old Englishman, who moved to the Merseyside club in 2022 from MLS outfit New York Red Bulls - confirmed in March he would be leaving the Toffees at the end of the season, amid a number of structural changes behind the scenes.

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During his three years at Goodison Park, Thelwell has overseen several challenging periods for the club that have included struggles with PSR rules, points deductions, a relegation battle and managerial changes.

However, he has also helped Everton gain £226 million in profit from transfer fees, while spending just £145m across six previous transfer windows, despite working with a limited budget.

One reporter who has documented Thelwell’s time at Everton is LiverpoolWorld correspondent, Will Rooney. He spoke to GlasgowWorld to offer an insight into what Rangers fans can expect from their new director of football...

What type of character is Kevin Thelwell like?

“I don't think when he took the job (at Everton) he imagined it would be as turbulent as it has been because it's been a difficult task. In terms of his character, I think he's someone who's well respected at the club, he's always been a voice that people would listen to, people would respect, would definitely lean on his opinion. And he's had, as I say, difficult circumstances away from the financial situation, the PSR rules, the points deductions etc not having a lot of money to spend and then having to address different facets of the club behind the scenes as well.

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“It's not just transfers that you have to look upon, so yeah it's been three years that I don't think he may have expected. Different managerial changes as well involved in that and I think he leaves Everton a well-respected character. He goes with good grace. He's acted with dignity right throughout, real integrity. But there have been some flaws, of course like every appointment has. I think overall you have to dock your hat to what he's done at Everton.”

What has Kevin Thelwell’s main role at Everton been?

“A lot of his role has been first-team focused and reducing the wage bill financially because Everton have had their issues. They were deducted up to eight points in total, they're hit with two breaches of PSR. So it's been difficult because Kevin Thelwell’s had to come in, he's had to try and bring in players that Everton can sell on. He's also had to sell a lot of assets in that time, squeezing margins out of sales, which he's done really well. The likes of Richarlison, Anthony Gordon, Amadou Onana, Demarai Gray, Alex Iwobi.

“I think in total he's raised around £225 million pound sales and he's brought in £145 million pounds worth of players, so an £80 million pound deficit there pretty much which is to keep Everton in the Premier League when you're literally not spending money, reducing the wage bill and getting players off the books, having to sell some of your better academy players as well because it's good for PSR. That's been the main focus. There have been some some different aspects around the behind the scenes with the academy, bringing in some recruits from football league clubs from Ireland, one from Scotland as well. But the main focus has been ensuring that Everton are a Premier League club going into the new stadium next season which they are.”

Is Kevin Thelwell the right type of figure to turn Rangers fortunes around?

“That's what he’s brought to Everton, to be fair. Like I say, it's not been it's been solid rather than scintillating but it had to be like that. The priority has been for the last few years to stay in the Premier League to get to Bramley Moore Dock to improve the financial situation. But, Everton, at the same time they've improved on the pitch as well. Looking back at when he came in in February 2022, Everton were in a relegation battle. They stay up under Sean Dyche then last season, without the points deduction I think they would have finished about 12th in the Premier League and this season they're obviously contracted to maybe finish 13th or 14th which is progress.

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“It's not the progress that everyone wants. As you say, Rangers want to be competing for a title they want to be in Europe they want to be in the Champions League. Everton fans want to be competing for Europe every single season they want to see a trophy drought ended but it's been needs must and you could say that he hasn't had the tools to really go out and get these big hitters and show what he's all about because he's had other priorities. Some of his buys have been questionable, some of his transfers, but some of them have been excellent. So it's the life of a director of football and football recruitment isn't it - you're not going to get every single one right but he has done a lot right to be fair to him.”

How is Kevin Thelwell viewed among the Everton fanbase?

“I wouldn’t say it’s an exciting appointment. At Liverpool, for example, they have Michael Edwards who’s got a real reputation and Monchi at Aston Villa... Arsenal have gone and brought in the lad from Atletico Madrid, but I think what Kevin has done in the game, he's a highly respected figure.

“If we go through some of the player sales, £60 million for Richarlison which has turned out to be an absolute steal given what what's happened at Spurs. Anthony Gordon for £45 million, look you could say in hindsight that might be a little bit too cheap, but at the time he hadn't played all that much first-team football. He was struggling for goals and assists. I think, at the time, I thought that's a good fee.

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“Amadou Onana, they got £50 million for him. They brought him in for £33m, so a profit on that two years later. I think Alex Iwobi for £20 million with a year left on his contract was excellent business. Ben Godfrey last summer for £9 million was also excellent business given that he didn't play at Atalanta and he's struggling only at Ipswich on loan now. And even some of the academy players that he's had to sell, the likes of Tom Cannon and Ellis Sims getting six, seven, eight million pounds around that ballpark for players like that.

“So that, for me, is where Kevin’s strength has lied. He's excellent when it comes to player sales - I don't think anyone can dispute that. Demarai Gray is another one who went to Saudi Arabia and turned into a good bit of business. You put all those into a Premier League team, a lot of them I've just mentioned and it's a good Premier League team. Everton instead have had to go out and get players in that maybe aren't up to that standard, some of them have maybe got a little bit of potential but haven't quite met it.”

Can you see Kevin Thelwell working well alongside the 49ers?

“Yeah, absolutely. I don't think anyone at Everton has really got a bad word to say about Kevin Thelwell, to be honest. The way he's conducted himself throughout this period, even throughout the takeover and maybe knowing that his time would be up when the takeover was completed. In January, he came out and basically said after the window that ‘we don't need to sign anyone. I want to look after the club and there wasn't anyone there who could improve the club. We'll save money for the summer budget.’

“Maybe Kevin Thelwell could’ve went out in a blaze of glory and thought ‘right, let's go make a couple of signings and let me enhance my reputation’ but instead he put the club first. He's acted superbly right the way through and in terms of some of his signings, the likes of Iliman Ndiaye has been excellent. Jake O'Brien, who he brought in the summer, is now getting his chance. I say Amadou Omana, sold for profit, maybe didn't quite live up to his early potential but made a lot of money on him.

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“The only one thing I would say is, and maybe it's a fault of Sean Dyche but there were some players recruited who you just didn't think would be a Sean Dyche type of player. For example, Arnaut Danjuma on loan a couple of years ago didn't work out despite him being really good for (Aston) Villa and helping them get to a Champions League semi-final. He signs Jesper Lindstrøm last summer from Napoli. Was he ever going to be a Sean Dyche player? Looks a little bit lightweight. The jury's still out on Beto, someone who he’d pursued for two windows, despite having a little bit of a purple patch when (David) Moyes returned.

“Youssef Chermiti was a young, development signing but in two years at the club he hasn't quite kicked on yet. So, as I say, in recruitment there's always good buys. You normally try and work on a two and three basis. Everton maybe haven’t quite hit that. There’s probably been times when Kevin Thelwell wanted players but Everton have just been down the pecking order in terms of the player wanting to move to Everton. They liked Matheus Cunha, for example, at Atletico Madrid, but they just couldn’t get these deals done whether that be because they didn’t have the money or those players wanted to go elsewhere.

“But overall, I think if you reflect on his three and a half years at the club you’d probably give him a seven out of ten. Given the circumstances he's faced, he's done a really good job.”

What manager would work well alongside Thelwell?

“I think someone who is aligned with Kevin Thelwell. You mentioned Sean Dyche, they have a good relationship but I think they had different ideas about football and philosophies maybe. They had a great relationship but I think Thelwell prefers players who play a bit more of a progressive style. Sean Dyche, obviously we know what he's about.

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“So getting someone in who would be fully aligned with him, who he can be on song with. That's what the best relationships are. You look on Aston Villa with Unai Emery and Monchi for years, Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards at Liverpool with the data behind that. Someone who they both have a say and maybe at times one of them will come out on top. But you've got to trust your ability in a sporting director, you've got to back your opinion because you're next on the line as well.

“A lot of the time with recruitment now, you're not turning to the manager and saying ‘why do we bring him in’. In the modern day, people look and think what is the sporting director doing? So, for that season, Sean Dyche I couldn't see it.

“Steven Gerrard? Never say never I suppose. But for me, if you’re looking at Celtic and you've got a manager like Brendan Rodgers who’s been there, managed Liverpool, won the FA Cup with Leicester... I think Rangers have to go out and get one of the big hitters if they're going to compete with Celtic. That's just my opinion and you would think that a club like Rangers will be able to attract a manager of that ilk.”

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