Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson has told Rangers.co.uk of his ‘delight’ after the appointment of former Liverpool staff member Matt Konopinski as Head of Medical Services.
Konopinski joins from the English FA, where he worked with their various youth international teams, but prior to that role, he had served as Head Physio under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
“I’m delighted to welcome Matt to Rangers,” said Wilson, as quoted by Rangers.co.uk. “We already have some excellent people here and the ability to grow and reinforce that support around our teams during the winter break is a further boost to the quality of our football operation.”
“We interviewed Matt in November and it was clear that not only would he be a great addition to our group from a medical perspective but he is also a strong personality fit to the existing staff and the ethos that we are developing going forward.”
Wilson added that the new employee’s role would involve working across both the first team and academy squads.
Verdict
Rangers may not be doing much player recruitment during this transfer window, but it’s good to see that work is continuing off the field to improve the setup at the club.
There have been rumours of a potential appointment in this area for several months [Football Scotland], and it’s clear that Wilson believes he’s got the right man for the job.
Konopinski is clearly vastly experienced and bringing in an expert in the field will hopefully have benefits for all Gers players.
With two key men in James Tavernier and Filip Helander currently sidelined through injury and more knocks anticipated over a busy next few months, the appointment looks well-timed.
It’s also encouraging to see that Konopinski will be working with all age-groups.
Much has been made about the need for a ‘pathway’ between the Academy and the first-team, and having staff working across the club is one way to bridge existing gaps.
