Rangers set to lose third key backroom staff member with Adam Roberts exit to Bristol Bears
Rangers are facing a major backroom rebuild as a third key figure is set to leave in the form of physiotherapist Adam Roberts, the Daily Record reports.
He is joining the Bristol Bears rugby team as their new head of medical services, and the news comes on the back of the report that the club’s chief scout Andy Scoulding is headed to Tottenham this summer [Telegraph].
In addition Dr. Mark Waller is going to be appointed as the club doctor at Leicester City after compensation was agreed according to John Percy on Twitter.
The Gers are therefore going to require significant appointments to be made before the start of the 2022/23 season.
Roberts said, via the Daily Record: “I’m delighted to be joining the Bristol Bears organisation as Head of Medical Services. The opportunity to be part of the Bears is hugely exciting and I’m looking forward to getting started.
“I’m eager to get to work at the world-class High-Performance Centre alongside the quality players and staff here. The ambition of the club is there for all to see and I’m keen to contribute to that.”
Cost of success
There may be an element of bad luck and coincidence but this feels like it could be a negative consequence of the attention-grabbing run to the Europa League final last season.
Although Rangers had a much more uneven time in ceding their Premiership title to Celtic, the prime-time victories over multiple European sides, as well as the season-ending Scottish Cup win, have made a strong impression.
The fact that there was a managerial change during the season may be playing a role as well, as the switch from Steven Gerrard and his staff to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his might have felt like the end of an era.
But it does represent a slight concern for the ongoing success at the club as it cannot be helpful for so many to be moving at the same time.
There were a considerable amount of injury issues at Ibrox over the previous season, necessarily bringing the medical staff into focus as a key area at the club.
If a similar situation arises again the replacements will need to be up to scratch to deal with it, or preferably avoid it in the first place.
Scoulding is the most obvious loss as he has played a key role in putting together the side that won the 55th title after years in the wilderness, and followed up with the success during 2022.
Ross Wilson has a big job on his hands to replace all three exiting men.
In other Rangers news, the club want £4million if they are to sell a player who is expected to imminently be subject to a bid from Europe.