Ross Wilson was top target for Rangers' director of football role two years ago

However, he turned down a switch when he claimed the timing was wrong

Rangers have been seeking a replacement for Mark Allen since last month

Wilson held positive talks over the role and is keen to return to Scottish football

Rangers are poised to land Southampton's Ross Wilson as the club's new director of football.

The respected Scot was top target for the role two years ago, turning down a switch to Ibrox when he claimed the timing was wrong.

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The loss of former Manchester City academy chief Mark Allen for 'family reasons' last month, however, has left the Ibrox club seeking a replacement to work with manager Steven Gerrard.

Ross Wilson, currently at Southampton, is set to become Rangers' new director of football

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And Sportsmail understands Southampton's head of football operations has held positive talks over the role and is keen to return to Scottish football where he started out with Falkirk.

Wilson, 36, moved to English football where he worked for Watford and Huddersfield before joining Southampton, snapping up the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Fraser Forster from the Scottish Premiership.

Explaining his decision to turn down a move to Ibrox two years ago he admitted he was tempted bu the job saying: 'The people at Rangers, there was contact of course we had some discussions, they were fantastic.

Wilson snapped up Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Fraser Forster at Southampton

'I had great conversations with Andrew Dickson, Stewart Robertson, Graeme Park, Dave King - the conversations were all really, really good.

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'Ultimately everything they said was hugely ambitious, great plans for what they're trying to do at the club.

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'But ultimately it was just wasn't the right time for me to leave England and come back to Scotland and definitely not leave Southampton at the moment in time.' Allen left Rangers last month to pursue what he called, 'other options.'