WILSON DEFENDS RECORD

ROSS WILSON has issued a defence of his record as Rangers sporting director by insisting he has delivered on his mandate since joining the club. In the post since October 2019, Wilson has faced criticism from some pundits and supporters over the Ibrox side’s player recruitment during the last two transfer windows. The 39-year-old has, however, twice negotiated record sales for Rangers this year — with the £12million-plus exit of Nathan Patterson to Everton followed by Calvin Bassey’s £20m move to Ajax. ‘People can always make their judgments at any

time,’ said Wilson, when asked about perceptions of recruitment on his watch. ‘Whether it’s the scouting team, the managers, the sporting director, the chief executive — people always have an opinion on something. ‘We are very proud of a lot of the work we have done here and, with humility, you look at some other work you have been part of and you will say: “I wish I hadn’t done that” or “I wish I had done that a bit better”. ‘Certainly from my perspective I know the mandate I was given on the day I walked in the door here and I am absolutely sure I have delivered on my part of the mandate so far. ‘But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things I wouldn’t look back on and say: “I could have done that bit better”. ‘I am certainly proud of a lot of the work and there is still loads of work to do here — and a load of work to do in the coming windows, for sure.’ Wilson, a former director of football operations at Southampton, also disputed whether it had been a mistake to allow some players’ contracts to run down. Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack and Filip Helander are all out of contract next summer. Loan deals for Malik Tillman and James Sands will also expire unless the club activate clauses for permanent transfers. ‘I don’t buy it (the criticism),’ said Wilson. ‘I don’t buy into that at all. Nonsense. ‘There are two key assets here who have been talked about for a long time in Kent and Morelos. There is another group of older players who, I’m sure everybody understands, good contract management is to have those lads on one-year contracts and review them year on year. ‘And there are a couple of boys who have been injured quite a lot so, again, it is sensible to keep reviewing before the end of the season as well. So I don’t buy into that.’ Asked if he felt some of the flak had been unfair, he added: ‘I don’t think it’s been unfair because I think everyone is entitled to their opinion on that, of course they are. ‘But I think we’re comfortable with the direction of travel with our contracts. It played out last year with Connor (Goldson) as well, so we’ll see where we go.’ Wilson declined to be drawn on the current state of play on negotiations with Kent and Morelos. ‘Two very, very different situations between the two of them,’ he said. ‘They are both private and personal situations for the two boys and their agents, so I won’t go into any details there but they are two very, very different situations. Time will tell. ‘I think, as Michael (Beale) said the other day, there are two different sides to that. There is the players’ side and the club’s side. Let’s see where we go first.’