Leanne Crichton opens up on difficulty behind Rangers Women switch – ‘That emotional connection’
Rangers Women manager Leanne Crichton has opened up about her appointment last summer.
Crichton made the switch from Glasgow City, where she worked as assistant manager to Leanne Ross.
The former midfielder racked up 72 caps for Scotland during her playing days, before calling time on her career following a spell at Motherwell in 2023.
Rangers sit second in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, five points behind leaders Glasgow City.
In a master versus apprentice scenario, Rangers are looking to topple their city rivals, who dominate the rest of the field historically with 16 league titles in total.
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Leanne Crichton looks back on Rangers switch
After taking on a playing and coaching role at Motherwell, Crichton became assistant to Ross at Glasgow City in 2024, with the pair leading the club to a second-place finish behind Champions Hibs.
Over the summer, she would take on her first managerial role at Rangers following the departure of Jo Potter.
Speaking to A Level Playing Field, Crichton mentioned the conversation with Ross to inform her of the decision to make the move to Rangers.
“That was probably the most difficult part,” said Crichton on the conversation with Ross.
“It was just that emotional connection and almost that feeling of letting people down.”
Much like Crichton, Ross made the immediate leap into coaching after winning 14 titles with Glasgow City as a player, alongside seven Scottish Women’s Cups and six SWPL Cups.
“I knew that was never how Leanne would view it, because we want the best for each other. Even now that we are on the other side of it,” said Crichton.
Crichton is yet to beat Ross as a manager, but will have two more chances this season as league action returns on Sunday 15 March.
Can Rangers Women still win the title?
Rangers sit five points behind Glasgow City after the split, having beat Hamilton 11-0, and Montrose 2-0 in their final two matches of the season’s first phase.
The two sides locked horns in January, with a late Calliste Brookshire equaliser securing a point at Petershill Park.
Rangers face Edinburgh duo Hearts and Hibs in their next two, before they face their title chasing rivals on 22 March – a match that could make or break Rangers when it comes to their league winning hopes.
Rangers’ next five matches:
- Hearts – 15 March (A)
- Hibernian – 18 March (A)
- Glasgow City – 22 March (H)
- Partick Thistle – 1 April (H)
- Celtic – 5 April (A)
Crucially, the sides go head to head on the final day of the season on 24 May.
If Rangers are to claw back some ground on the league leaders before then, the campaign’s final day could carry humongous implications as Rangers face their city rivals on the road, a week after taking on Old Firm rivals Celtic at home.
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