Ross Wilson moves to Nottingham Forest after leaving post as Rangers sporting director
Ross Wilson arrived at Ibrox in 2019 and appointed Giovanni van Bronckhorst and current boss Michael Beale; Wilson also was involved in deals that saw Rangers break their player sale record in consecutive windows
Friday 14 April 2023 16:27, UK
Nottingham Forest have appointed Ross Wilson as chief football officer after he left his post as Rangers sporting director.
The 39-year-old, who has also worked at Falkirk, Watford, Huddersfield Town and Southampton, departs Rangers after nearly four years at the club.
Wilson replaces Filippo Giraldi - who was sacked as sporting director on Tuesday - as Forest fight to get out of the Premier League relegation zone.
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During his time at Ibrox, Wilson helped Rangers win their 55th top-flight title under Steven Gerrard before the Englishman moved to Aston Villa and the Scottish Cup last season.
Bidding farewell to Rangers, Wilson said: "I would like to thank the players, led superbly by captain James Tavernier, and the manager Michael Beale, as well as all those who have come before them in the three and a half years I have spent at Rangers.
"I would like to thank Douglas Park, Stewart Robertson and the Board for their support. I wish John Bennett - a true Rangers man - a successful chairmanship. This is a great club, and there are so many reasons for Rangers to face the decades ahead with optimism and pride."
Wilson appointed Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Gerrard's successor as Rangers reached the Europa League final, and then brought in Michael Beale from QPR after the Dutchman's sacking.
Rangers also smashed their player sale record in consecutive windows with academy graduate Nathan Patterson joining Everton in a deal worth £16m last January before Calvin Bassey moved to Ajax in a deal worth just under £23m.
However, some fans at Rangers have been frustrated with Wilson's signings as Celtic won the league title last summer and look to retain that crown this season.
Last month thousands of signs were unfurled before a game against Motherwell, with supporters calling for Wilson and managing director Stewart Robertson to be relieved of their duties.
Beale: I've lost a good ally
Rangers boss Michael Beale feels he has "lost a good ally" in Wilson but insists their summer recruitment plans remain on track despite the sporting director's departure.
"In and around the training ground he was a huge, positive figure. He's well-liked around the club. He's a friend as well as a colleague.
"If the club deems fit that we should have another sporting director, then that's a good model for the club because it's a wide-reaching role here at Rangers.
"It's safeguarding the club. It's someone that oversees the department, one of those departments being the first team. It's what suits each club. There's no right and wrong. Our board and John Bennett now will take his time to assess everything and decide what comes next.
"I want to move really quickly this summer. We need to be aggressive, we need to be early in the window, we need to identify good players.
"I'm confident and I'm happy with where things are at the moment. In the short term, I'll oversee what happens here at the training ground day in, day out. I'm very close to recruitment staff anyway.
"A lot of our targets and the conversations are up and running, pre-season's planned. There are players that we're speaking to. A lot of the planning's been going on since November."
Boyd: Wilson exit best for all parties
Following those protests, Sky Sports' Kris Boyd believes Wilson's move to Forest benefits both clubs and the sporting director.
"There's no doubt Rangers' recruitment over the last few years hasn't been good enough, there's no getting away from it," the former Rangers striker told Sky Sports News.
"Fans have had enough and you've seen them turn on Stewart Robertson [managing director] and Ross Wilson.
"When that's your role at the football club you're always going to be judged on it. There's been a lot of criticism and I've had my say on it as well.
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"You don't like to see fans turning on the board but they are paying their money, they're turning up and they want better.
"The opportunity for Ross Wilson to join a massive club in Nottingham Forest is too good an opportunity for him to turn down.
"They're in the Premier League and okay they are fighting for survival but you've got a chance to consolidate yourself as a Premier League club because that's where Nottingham Forest want to be, playing every year at that elite level. Ross Wilson will want to be part of it.
"It hasn't been all bad at Rangers, there have been some good things, but once the fans start to voice their opinion at the level they have recently it's only going to end one way.
"The opportunity for Ross Wilson to get out at this moment in time could be best for all parties."
