Former Rangers striker Shota Arveladze prepares for Championship manager role within next 48 hours

Hull City are expected to appoint former Rangers and Ajax striker Shota Arveladze as new manager within the next two days.

The 48-year-old Georgian has a coaching background in Turkey, Israel and most recently in Uzbekistan, and is poised to replace Grant McCann at the Tigers, who sit 19th in the English second tier.

As a player, Arveladze became Georgia’s top scorer on the international stage, and also proved prolific for Ajax and AZ Alkmaar either side of a four year spell at Rangers where he weighed in with several crucial goals for then manager Alex McLeish.

As a coach he initially began as assistant manager at Alkmaar under Louis van Gaal, subsequently working with another ex-Rangers boss Dick Advocaat and Ronald Koeman in Holland before branching out on his own in Turkey – where he had previously played for Trabzonspor. He managed the Istabul-based club after a spell at Kasimpasa and later spent half a season in charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.

He left Pakhtakor Tashkent FK in Uzbekistan a year ago having led the club to back-to-back league titles, including a domestic treble in 2019.

The Daily Mail reports the Georgian will be named new boss at the MKM Stadium by owner Acun Ilicali following his £30m takeover at the club.

He is expected to agree a deal on Tuesday and Arveladze’s first game in charge could be against another ex-Ibrox player – Russell Martin – this weekend. The former defender is now in charge of skybet Championship rivals Swansea City.

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