Rangers raid Premier League club for talent spotter to fill key Ibrox academy recruitment role
Ex Scotland international will be tasked with overseeing the recruitment of talented youngsters for Rangers academy system
Rangers have appointed a former Scottish Premiership boss as their new head of academy scouting as the club continue their summer staff shake-up at Auchenhowie.
Ex-Livingston, Bradford City, Morton and Ayr United boss David Hopkin will leave his position as head of scouting in Scotland for English Premier League side Crystal Palace to oversee the recruitment of up-and-coming players from the Ibrox youth system.
The Rangers Review report a deal for the 55-year-olf was ratified on Monday, with Hopkin now filling the role that was vacated by James Fowler after he moved to Newcastle United earlier this summer.
Hopkin - a seven-time capped Scotland international - was responsible for the moves of several Scottish youngsters to Selhurst Park in recent seasons, with top talents Justin Devenney, Scott Banks and Dylan Reid all heading south of the border.
He enjoyed a distinguished playing career with the likes of Palace, Leeds United and Chelsea, before embarking on a managerial career that saw him guide Livingston from League One to the top-flight in successive campaigns.
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Hopkin will now get to work for Rangers as part of a new structure that is fronted by technical director Dan Purdy. He becomes the latest addition to the club’s staff, following the recent news that Stig Inge Bjornybe had been named as performance director.
Meanwhile, Jim McAllister has returned to take up a kit man post, with first-team manager Derek McInnes also adding to his coaching staff in the shape of legendary shot-stopper Allan McGregor and technical coach Craig Clark from Kilmarnock.
McInnes: ‘It’s good to have that affiliation’
McInnes spoke of the importance of having the right people filling key roles behind the scenes at Rangers warm-weather training camp in Spain earlier this month. He stated: “I think what you always want in any position is the best man for the job.
“I think, for me, that’s so important. Whether we’re trying the best head of recruitment, the best head of sports science, the best goalkeeping coach. Right across the board, you just want the people who are the best for the job. It currently doesn’t do any harm if there is an affiliation. There’s a lot of these appointments, they’re club appointments. I’ve obviously had the benefit of bringing my staff.
“But these conversations were right from the very outset when I spoke to the club about we’re going to need a new set-piece coach (to replace Scott Fry), we’re going to need a new goalkeeping coach (to replace Sal Bibbo). The potential to maybe bring in somebody to help David MacGregor in the kit room. I’m saying I’m working hard on it, but he works as all kit men do. But he needs an extra pair of hands in there.
“It’s good to have that affiliation. If you get a positive spin for that, great, But they’re there because they’re good at their job, not because there’s an affiliation with the club.”