Rangers have announced the appointment of former Manchester United chief executive Patrick Stewart as their new CEO.
The position at Ibrox has been vacant since previous incumbent James Bisgrove left in May, with interim chairman John Gilligan managing the club’s operations during the recent period of boardroom uncertainty.
Stewart performed interim CEO duties at United for a spell between 2023 and the summer of this year after initially joining the Old Trafford club in 2006 and then moving on to the board in 2019. He will begin his role at Rangers on December 16.
“On behalf of the board, I’m delighted to welcome Patrick to the club as CEO,” Gilligan told the Gers’ website.
“Patrick comes with an excellent reputation and background, bringing extensive experience of operating at senior levels during his 20-plus years in football.
“The board continues in discussions with several excellent candidates for the role of chairperson and expect to make an announcement of an appointment in the coming weeks.”
Stewart faces a big task to steady the ship at Ibrox, with Gers deemed to be in an unconvincing state both on and off the pitch. They recently posted a £17.2million loss and efforts to cut costs and reduce the wage bill appear to have taken a toll on the team.
Rangers currently languish third in the William Hill Premiership, 11 points adrift of city rivals Celtic and eight behind second-placed Aberdeen after winning just two of their last five league matches.
Manager Philippe Clement has come under intense pressure as a result, although the club appear intent on keeping faith with the embattled Belgian for now.