Derek McInnes looking on from the sidelines

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Who is Simon Ireland? Meet Rangers' next set-piece coach poised to join Derek McInnes' staff

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Published on:

22 Jul 2026, 2:18 pm

Rangers are continuing to add to Derek McInnes' coaching staff as Simon Ireland now looks set for Ibrox.

The Gers have been without a dedicated set-piece coach following the departure of Scott Fry who has joined Birmingham City.

The start of the Scottish Premiership season is just around the corner and the Bears boss would have been hoping for a replacement before then.

Now, it seems like Ireland will be the man to take on that role.

The Bears were one of the better sides at scoring from set-piece chances last campaign, and McInnes will be hoping to keep that trend up.

And here is a rundown of what Ireland could bring to Ibrox based on his previous roles.

What roles has Simon Ireland had before in football?

Ibrox News has been keeping up with all the latest coaching changes under McInnes, including Fry's departure to Birmingham.

Now, according to Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack, Ireland is set to be the man to replace Fry.

Ireland has been part of the coaching world since 2005, working across various clubs in England, with his most recent being Assistant Head Coach at Barrow AFC.

Rangers have agreed a deal with Simon Ireland to join the first team coaching staff.

Ireland will replace Scott Fry following his move to Birmingham City earlier this summer and work on set-piece coaching.
— Chris Jack (@Chris_Jack89) July 22, 2026

According to his LinkedIn, the majority of his roles have been as a first-team coach, but for the Gers, they will take a keen eye on his spell at Huddersfield from September 2023 to January 2024,

For the Terriers, that is the sole role where he has been listed as a dedicated set-piece coach before he is set to join Rangers.

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How did Huddersfield fare at set-pieces during 2023-2024?

Although Ireland was only at Huddersfield for five months, the West Yorkshire side were fairly solid from dead-ball situations on both ends of the pitch.

Despite finishing in 23rd and getting relegated that season, the Terriers finished right in the middle in 12th for set-piece goals conceded as per FotMob.

Additionally, in the offensive areas of the pitch, Huddersfield came in ninth for set-piece goals scored.

While Ireland may not have been there for the whole season, he certainly played a key role in a majority of the campaign.

Becoming better at defending at set-pieces may be a key department for McInnes to work on.

Last season, the Gers were sixth for goals conceded (12) from dead-ball scenarios.

Meanwhile, they were joint-top for goals scored (23) on the attacking side of set-pieces.

Barrow Association Football Club

Derek McInnes

Huddersfield Town Football Club

Rangers Football Club