Rangers top Premiership scout leaves Ibrox post for new role at English FA

Rangers have reportedly suffered another exit from their scouring department this summer.

According the The Athletic, the club’s lead domestic scout Robert Clarkson has left his post at Ibrox to take up a new role at the English FA.

Clarkson was brought to the club by former Gers director of football Mark Allen in 2017 as part of a revamped scouting infrastructure, initially starting as a first-team scout before earning a promotion to lead scout two years later.

His move follows the departure of Andy Scoulding, the head of scouting who left the Glasgow giants earlier this summer to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Clarkson aided Steven Gerrard in building his Premiership-winning team in season 2020/21 before helping Giovanni van Bronckhorst scour the market for potential signings and fresh talent.

He had previously worked his way up from analysing Manchester City’s under-12s to the under 18s before moving north of the border.

Clarkson’s will now take part in the FA’s new talent ID programme that works from under-18s up to Gareth Soutgate’s senior squad.

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson has started the process of reshuffling the club’s scouting team by appointing ex-Celtic and Hibs senior scout John Park to oversee the club’s recruitment policy.

The 64-year-old spent nine years in Glasgow between 2007 and 2016 before moving to Sunderland in 2016 and working with former Hoops manage Tony Mowbray at Blackburn Rovers last term.

Park, who was the mastermind behind identifying stars Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Dembele, has been tasked with helping the club in their player trading model, buying players before selling for a profit.