Thursday 15 October 2015 17:07, UK
Frank McParland is leaving his sporting director's role at Burnley to join Mark Warburton at Rangers.
McParland has previously worked with the Ibrox manager at Watford and Brentford, and admits it was a tough decision to leave Turf Moor to take up the role of head of recruitment at the Scottish Championship side.
In a statement, the former Liverpool chief scout said: "This has been a tough decision, because I completely respect all that Burnley has done for me in my short time here.
"The management, staff, players and fans have been wonderful in welcoming me into such a tight-knit club.
"However, Mark and I go back a long way. We've had a close friendship for nine years or so and we've worked together professionally for four or five years now. The lure of joining up with him again was just too great.
"This was never a club decision, because Burnley is a fantastic football club that I've been proud to work for.
"But I just couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with Mark, so it's with a heavy heart that I decided to leave."
McParland, who joined the Lancashire club in May, believes they are in great shape to go from strength to strength, adding: "All the foundations remain in place and with the right people there to drive it.
"I know they will continue to make good decisions that benefit the club and continue to take it forwards. I wish everyone at Burnley Football Club all the very best and I'm confident the club has a very bright future."
Warburton himself was delighted to bring McParland to Ibrox, to fill a role that has been vacant for over two years.
"Knowledge, experience, contacts, networks. He knows the type of player me and David [Weir] want here," said Warburton.
"He knows the profile and the individual attributes we need, so it is a pleasure to work with Frank.
"I have worked with him for eight, nine, 10 years now, from Watford and I've no doubt in my mind he is one of the very best.
"It's an honest relationship, we argue about things, it's not always about agreeing with each other, far from it.
"David knows Frank very well. Frank knows we like flexibility, players who can play in more than one position and adapt to different demands.
"He knows the type of player who will fit that requirement. It saves time and we have faith in his judgement and we have absolute faith in his feedback."
