Rangers look set to appoint former Queen’s Park manager Laurie Ellis to the high-ranking Academy role within the club in the latest backroom appointment.
According to Football Scotland, the former SPFL boss is set to take charge of a special role within the Academy that primes player’s for promotions to the B side and First Team.
The 42-year-old has been out of work since losing his job with the Spiders on Hogmanay 2021 following a disappointing run of one win in nine matches in SPFL League One.
Laurie Ellis had been part of the Queen’s Park side who earned promotion from League Two, working as assistant to Ray McKinnon before leaving ahead of the club winning promotion to the Championship.
Ellis also has experience as an assistant manager working under McKinnon at Dundee United and Gary Naysmith at Queen of the South.
A former player with Raith Rovers, St Mirren and Stirling Albion, Laurie Ellis also has experience working in youth football in the SFA’s performance school and has a full UEFA Pro License.
According to the report, whilst studying for this Ellis worked closely with some members of the Ibrox Academy coaching staff including the likes of Mark Spalding.
Rangers to add Laurie Ellis to club’s backroom staff
Given Laurie Ellis is a former SPFL manager, it has to go down as an impressive piece of business to bring him into the club in such a role.
Rangers have put an increased emphasis on their youth set-up over the last few years and that has somewhat intensified in terms of recruitment this summer.
The Gers have moved to sign up a range of top young talents around the Scottish game to their U18s and B team this season, with some impressive signings from down south to boot.
If the report is correct, Laurie Ellis will be tasked with priming these players to progress through the Rangers youth set-up and hopefully go on to become top assets for the first-team.
Rangers continue to make impressive moves in the backroom of the club and it’s not just in the youth set-up either.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is reportedly set to add a new addition to the club’s first-team backroom staff by raiding the prestigious City Group.