Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson has revealed the club have been keeping tabs on Gio van Bronkhorst before Steven Gerrard left Ibrox.
While Gerrard's departure for Aston Villa came as a shock to many supporters, Wilson has stated he was already planning for the next boss.
The pair have previously held "informal conversations" and was one of the manager's that instantly came to mind for Wilson and the Premiership champions.
Wilson told the club website: “I am delighted to welcome Gio back to Rangers.
"He was respected throughout Europe as a player and has already shown why he has that same respect as a coach.
“Gio has already shown himself to be a winner, he knows the club, he knows the quality of the squad and is absolutely aligned with our approach and mindset.
“Outside of the formal discussions, Gio and I have already had numerous other informal conversations and I can see how excited he is. I am looking forward to introducing him to the squad soon.
“Gio has been part of a long list of managers we have been tracking for a period of time to ensure we are always ready.
"When Steven intimated his decision last Wednesday, we immediately got to work on what was then a focused shortlist. We held initial talks within 48 hours and concluded our decision making within six days of the role becoming available.
“We found agreement with Gio extremely quickly and we have enjoyed working with him on assembling the backroom team that will complement an already excellent support staff that we have built here at Rangers.”
