One of the main figures behind bringing Steven Gerrard to Rangers has earned himself another high profile job, this time, in the English Championship.
Mark Allen has been promoted from his Swansea role as academy director, which was his first post after leaving Ibrox for personal reasons, to that of sporting director, a similar job to the one he held in Scotland.
He didn’t get everything right whilst he was at the club, however, persuading a rookie manager with a world-wide reputation to take over a club in crisis will go down as his biggest contribution.
Second choice to Ross Wilson, it was hoped that Allen would bring with him an experience of young English players from his time at the Manchester City academy – where he was first acquainted with Gerrard – but it didn’t quite work out like that, although he was responsible for more than a few of the current first XI squad members.
Was Mark Allen a success at Ibrox?
Yes
No
There were players, like Aaron Nemane and Brandon Barker who arrived from his former club but failed to reach the standard required, what didn’t help was Jeremie Frimpong making Celtic a decent amount of money, someone Allen should have been aware of.
Allen wasn’t in the door quick enough to prevent the Pedro Caixinha fiasco but, along with the Gerrard, he can be content that he helped to rebuild a broken scouting and recruitment department as well as lay the foundations for his successor Wilson to build on – without the likes of Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack, Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis in place, 55 might not have become a reality and for that, we will always be thankful.