Key Rangers staffer exits Ibrox as he joins English Championship club amid continuing Light Blues exodus
A key Rangers staff member has joined an English Championship side
Championship promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the appointment of Ryan Mason as first team manager, in a move which will see him link up with Rangers’ Head of Performance.
Mason has signed a three-year contract at The Hawthorns and arrives from Tottenham Hotspur, where he was Ange Postecoglou’s assistant and helped lead the team to success in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League, ending a 17-year-wait for silverware and a 41-year-wait for European glory. The 33-year-old has held various positions with Spurs’ first team and academy since retiring from professional football aged 26, including twice taking interim charge after Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s respective departures.
He arrives with a point to prove in his first venture into senior management and is hoping to get the West Midlands club back into the big time after a four-year-absence. West Brom finished ninth last season, four points adrifit of the play-offs after a poor end to the season under former Hoops boss Tony Mowbray, who picked up five wins from 17 matches, giving him an overall win percentage of 29.41, which is the worst of his managerial career.
Sam Pooley leaves Rangers for West Brom
Sam Pooley has left his role as Rangers Head of Performance to take on a similar role at West Brom for next season. Pooley arrived at Rangers this year after a 10-year-association with Tottenham Hotspur and worked briefly under interim boss Barry Ferguson during the latter months of last season. Technical director Nils Koppen and a hoast of board members have left the club in the last week amid 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh’s takeover. Pooley’s exit continues an ongoing exodus which has included the interim coaching team, 13 youth players and senior stars Leon Balogun, Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence amongst others.
Pooley has experience as Head of Sports Science and First Team Sports Scientist at Spurs and will hope to provide a skillset which can benefit West Brom in their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League. He joins manager Ryan Mason, assistant coach Nigel Gibbs and James Morrison, Damià Abella and Boaz Myhill in forming the Baggies’ backroom staff for the 2025/26 campaign.
Rangers close in on new manager appointment
It’s believed that Rangers are closing in on the appointment of former Southampton boss Russell Martin as new manager for next season. In recent days, it has become increasingly apparent that it was a straight shootout between the former Southampton and Swansea City man plus Davide Ancelotti. The son of legendary boss Carlo, who has coaching experience at Real Madrid, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Everton.
However, it’s suspected that Martin will return to Govan, having had a brief loan spell at the club as player in 2018 where he played 15 times. The decision could see him be reunited with assistant Matt Gill, who worked with him at Swansea City and Southampton but that has not yet been confirmed. Martin is credited with leading Southampton to promotion via the play-offs in 2023/24 but was sacked mid-way through last season after a slow start which saw the team pick up just one league win in the opening 16 matches of the campaign.