Rangers now ready to hire Brighton chief with one behind-the-scenes Ibrox deal already in place
Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises have started to spruce up things behind the scenes at Ibrox since Russell Martin’s disastrous reign ended.
After Martin was dismissed, Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell were also cut adrift by Rangers, who have shown improvements – at least domestically – under the charge of Danny Rohl.
With Celtic seemingly in the most distress they’ve been in since Rangers won the Scottish Premiership title in 2020-21 and Hearts showing signs of weakness, there’s certainly an opportunity for the Light Blues to strike in the second half of the season and win an unlikely second league championship since their financial meltdown in 2012.
However, in order to do that, they’ll definitely need an impressive January transfer window.
Lee McCulloch eyed by Rangers for new role
Thankfully, Rangers‘ new-ish owners have already gone about improving their chances of striking some good deals next month, with Stig Inge Bjornebye joining the Ibrox giants as their new football consultant and advisor.
The ex-Liverpool left-back has signed an initial six-month deal with the Glaswegians and will start immediately, reporting to chairman Cavenagh.
However, Cavenagh’s behind-the-scenes recruitment process isn’t stopping there.
That’s because, according to Alan Nixon, Rangers are now eyeing up a move to bring Lee McCulloch back to Ibrox.
Reporting on his Patreon account on Wednesday, Nixon claimed that the Gers are trying to improve their recruitment processes and have McCulloch, 47, in their sights.
The former Ibrox utility man, who played for the club between 2007 and 2015, is currently at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, where he’s working as their talent acquisition manager.
And if you’re going to go about improving your operations in the transfer market, hiring experts from one of England’s most impressive clubs in that area is a good start.
- Read more: Lee McCulloch has previously backed this Rangers star for a spot in the Ibrox Hall of Fame
What McCulloch’s post-playing career has looked like
After his final season as a player in 2015-16, McCulloch has had a variety of behind-the-scenes roles up and down the United Kingdom.
He was made Kilmarnock’s interim manager on separate occasions in 2016 and 2017, managing 30 games and winning 26.6 per cent of them.
After his time as a player and a coach at Rugby Park came to an end, the former Scotland international headed to Poland to work as assistant manager of Lechia Gdansk in 2018, although his time there lasted a matter of weeks.
| Lee McCulloch’s Rangers career | |
| Appearances | 299 |
| Goals | 68 |
| Assists | 33 |
McCulloch’s honours list at Rangers:
- Scottish Premier League: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
- Scottish League One: 2013–14
- Scottish Third Division: 2012–13
- Scottish Cup: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Scottish League Cup: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
- UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2007–08
A year later, he worked on Robbie Nielson‘s coaching team at Dundee United, while also serving as Brighton’s chief scout in Scotland, a role which lasted between 2018 and 2020.
He then spent three years as Hearts’ assistant manager when Neilson made the move to Tynecastle, ending his role as a Brighton scout in the process.
However, after that stint at Hearts ended in 2023, Brighton re-hired McCulloch as their global emerging talent assistant manager, a role he served in for a little over a year before becoming the English club’s talent acquisition manager in June 2024.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247