5 Rangers sporting director candidates including key Philippe Clement ally and Ibrox favourite across the pond

With a new manager in the door and a first win under his belt, Rangers' focus is now on a sporting director.

It's a void that has seemed to get bigger in the six months since Ross Wilson's departure for Nottingham Forest. Michael Beale took charge of summer recruitment and it ended up costing him his job. Beale was sacked earlier this month after an expensive summer rebuild failed to result in his team getting closer to Celtic, who weren't exactly firing on all cylinders themselves.

Philippe Clement is now in the hotseat and while he will have his own ideas on the current squad and where it may be improved, he can't do anything about it until January and his priority is building on the 4-0 win over Hibs. But CEO James Bisgrove's job is to find someone to get things in place for the window opening. Graeme Souness is set to be utilised in an advisory role after his involvement in the process of hiring Clement.

But the sporting director gig is Bisgrove's next big call after his recent firing then hiring. Record Sport looks at five potential candidates.

The former Rangers defender was a popular figure at Ibrox and since retiring has made the move up to the boardroom rather than follow the more traditional coaching path. He's been one of Atlanta United's decision-makers since 2015 and has moved up the ladder at the Georgia MLS franchise ever since.

He also holds the role of vice president, but his main responsibility is squad, or 'roster' building. Under Bocanegra, Atlanta have pivoted to signing younger designated players – those who aren't subject to salary caps – closer to their prime rather than ageing names winding down their careers.

His knowledge of the American and South American markets could see more hits than