CHIEF Executive Officer, Jim Gillespie, says he's determined to build a club that supporters can take pride in as he spoke following the appointment of Derek McInnes as manager.
McInnes, who enjoyed a five-year spell at Rangers as a player and a distinguished managerial career elsewhere since, was unveiled to the media at Ibrox this afternoon alongside Gillespie as the duo spoke of the process which led to the managerial appointment and their ambitions to deliver sustained success at the club.
Speaking to RangersTV about McInnes’ arrival in the dugout, Gillespie said: “Derek has a wealth of experience in Scottish football and for Rangers.
“He understands what it takes to succeed at Rangers, having been here as a former player. He has great leadership skills, which is important, and he has resilience and character.
“He has real qualities which he has demonstrated over the years and has had outstanding managerial success.
“We had already identified Derek as the leading candidate. At a club like Rangers you need to have the ability to know what the football strategy is.
“Things happen quickly in football, and it was about who can be appointed and who is our leading candidate. We knew Derek was that person.
“I was brought up in a history of Rangers and how they behaved, and I’m glad to see we executed it in a manner that is fitting of Rangers traditions.”
McInnes will assume the role of manager as opposed to the title of head coach held by his predecessor, Danny Röhl.
It marks a return to tradition at Ibrox, of which Gillespie stressed its importance in the context of the club, with McInnes’ knowledge of both the club and Scottish football a key factor in his arrival.
He continued: “Derek will have the same role as any head coach or manager that is appointed at Rangers.
“He will fit in with the structure of the team with Dan Purdy, Stig [Inge Bjørnebye] and I. We have an executive board including Andrew [Cavenagh] and Paraag [Marathe], which meets weekly, as well as Grétar [Steinsson] and Fraser Thornton, and it’s about how we look at decision-making within football.
“Favouring Scottish signings? First and foremost, you need to have the quality to be employed to play for Rangers. We then look at the characteristics of the players and whether they can handle the jersey.
“If there are two equal players, we’ll always look at the one who is Scottish or understands Rangers because that’s advantageous for us.
“However, we’ll never shy away from appointing any member of staff from outwith Scotland, and that will continue.
"With the size of this organisation, we could never silo ourselves into only Scottish employees.”
It has been six months since Gillespie began his role as Chief Executive Officer, with the appointment of McInnes ushering in a fresh era on the pitch.
He believes alignment throughout the club will be key and, crucially, is hungry to build a club that supporters can connect with.
Gillespie added: “It’s an absolute privilege to become Chief Executive of Rangers. The staff have been absolutely wonderful to get to know.
“But what we need to do is get every part of the organisation aligned to make sure we’re fit for success.
“There was a review which began before my appointment, and that review has been ongoing.
"We’ll be looking to get the organisation to a point where we’re lean, fit and agile to bring success back to the club.
“It’s an exciting time for anyone to be involved at Rangers. We have great backing from the owners and board, great staff, and we’re fully aligned.
“Rangers standards and values underpin everything that we do, and if we can hold strong to that alignment, we’ll have a really bright future.”
MYGERS: From priority access and behind-the-scenes opportunities to special events and unique moments, MyGers brings you closer to the action on and off the pitch
RANGERS MUSEUM AND STADIUM TOURS: Experience the magic of Ibrox Stadium, with your very own ‘access all areas’ pass