Former FA chief 'interested' in Rangers CEO vacancy as frontrunner withdraws from race

A former high-ranking member of the English Football Association has emerged as a candidate for the vacant Rangers CEO position, according to reports.

Adrian Bevington, who spent almost two decades working across multiple roles with the England national team, including Director of Communications and Managing Director, is said to be open to talks with the Ibrox club.

Bevington's interest follows reports that St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie is no longer in contention to replace James Bisgrove, who quit Rangers in June to take up a position in Saudi Arabia.

It is understood that Gillespie - a lifelong Rangers fan and award-winning CEO with Renfrewshire children's charity Kibble - had been in advanced talks over a move to Govan before deciding to withdraw from the race.

Bevington, 53, who also spent 18 months as Middlesbrough’s head of recruitment operations, currently works as an MD for German football agency PROProfil. He also had a brief spell on the board of Hartlepool United as a non-executive director. 

Adrian Bevington is reportedly interested in becoming the next CEO of Rangers. (Photo: LEON NEAL/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Speaking just last week, the 53-year-old revealed his desire to work in Scottish football as he addressed the Rangers CEO position directly. He told Go Radio: “Rangers as a football club, is such a huge football institution, it's a global club.

"I have been following it very, very closely. Clearly, they were well beaten at the weekend by a very strong Celtic team. There is a lot of pressure flying around there.

"What I would say, is whoever the chief executive is going to be for Rangers has got to be someone who can show real leadership, is a good communicator, got to have a real understanding of the game and the industry, knowledge of the transfer market.

"Yes, they have got to be commercially strong to increase the revenues but ultimately I think they have got to have football industry nous and a real common sense and the ability to work relationships.

"Look, Scottish football I have made no secret over the many years that I would at some point in my career always be interested in working in Scotland.

"I think it is an incredibly passionate football country and I've got a great deal of respect for the game there because of the fan base. You have got so much to build on there.

“Rangers football club should be able to attract someone who has that stature and the ability to lead from the front but also have a real good understanding of how the industry works and a great network of contacts and relationships with people right throughout the game in Scotland but also at UEFA, the European Club Association.

"There are people within Celtic who have some of those relationships already and Rangers should be expecting similar."