Rangers: Nils Koppen named director of football recruitment after PSV role
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Rangers have appointed Nils Koppen from PSV Eindhoven as director of football recruitment, subject to a work permit.
The 38-year-old held the role of head of scouting at PSV prior to joining Rangers, having worked at the Dutch side across their academy and first-team since 2018.
Koppen’s appointment marks the completion of Rangers’ men’s football board following widespread boardroom changes.
John Bennett took up the role of chairman in April, James Bisgrove replaced Stewart Robertson as CEO in July, Creag Robertson was promoted to director of football operations in October while in June Dr Mark Waller returned as director of medical and performance and Zeb Jacobs was named academy director.
Koppen will officially take up his role on January 2 – working with the football board which also includes manager Philippe Clement – as will be responsible for the club’s player trading model, and leading the recently revamped scouting set-up at the Rangers Training Centre.
Chairman John Bennett (left), CEO James Bisgrove (centre) and Director of Football Operations Creag Robertson (right) are all on Rangers’ football board
Speaking on his appointment, Koppen said: “I am delighted to be joining such a prestigious club like Rangers in what is a crucial role for the club’s forward strategy.
“The chairman and CEO have both been clear in recent times our player trading model has to function better and on a more regular basis.
Koppen joins Rangers from PSV where he was Head of Scouting
“I look forward to working with the scouting team already here at the club to ensure we reach our goals in the coming years.”
The Gers have also appointed Tom Taylor as the club’s new head of performance and he will take up his role on December 22 once he joins from Premier League side Brighton.
What awaits Koppen at Rangers?
Rangers posted a small operating profit for the second successive year – this time £252,000 – but overall made a loss of just over £4m in its latest annual accounts.
Player trading will be a key factor in the months and years ahead for the club on and off the park. While question marks remain around some of the recent summer signings – Clement, Koppen and the wider football board will be aware future additions will need to deliver.
The sale of Calvin Bassey to Ajax for £22.7m – two years after he joined for just £230,000 from Leicester – plus the departure of academy graduate Nathan Patterson to Everton in a deal worth up to £16m last year were recent highlights.
Rangers sold Calvin Bassey (right) and Nathan Patterson (left) in 2022 for a large profit
However, losing the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos for free last summer after they ran down their contracts are mistakes the club will want to avoid in the future.
The task is clear for Koppen when he arrives at Ibrox in January – deliver consistent success – perhaps best summed up recently by chairman John Bennett who said: “Player trading will always be inherently volatile, yet Rangers must replace sporadic “wins” with systematic success.
“It is a given that it all begins with player recruitment. This is an area of priority for your board, and we anticipate that the coming months will see a strengthening in the leadership and processes of our football department, specifically with this in mind.”
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