Southampton’s director of football operations Ross Wilson, the key figure in the club’s recruitment, and the man who brought manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to St Mary's, has resigned to join Rangers in the Scottish Premiership later this month.

Wilson has played a central role in Saints player trading, signing, among others, Virgil Van Dijk, for whom the club banked a major profit on his £75 million sale to Liverpool, and has been responsible for much of the player and staff infrastructure. A Scot who began his career at Falkirk, Wilson has been a long-term target for Rangers owners Dave King and Douglas Park and has turned down two previous offers to join the club.

The 36-year-old will join Rangers in a similar role, expected to be announced this week, to work alongside managing director Stewart Robertson and manager Steven Gerrard. Wilson will have a place on the board at Rangers and will be tasked with raising the standards across the club: in recruitment, scouting, academy, medical and training ground infrastructure.

The club want to be recognised again as capable of competing in Europe and the priority remains success on the pitch. Without a trophy for eight years, Rangers are currently top of the Scottish Premiership on the long return from the insolvency that struck in 2012. Appointing Wilson, whose arrival has been strongly endorsed by Gerrard, is intended by the ownership to be another signal that they are serious about the future of the club