With Rangers reaching an agreement to appoint Kevin Muscat as their new head coach, attention now turns to which staff he will bring with him. The Ibrox side had signed Muscat to replace Russell Martin, but he may not be in the dugout until mid-November.
Neil McCann maintains a long-standing agreement with his former Rangers colleague, with the former Gers coach returning to oversee matters on an interim basis before becoming Muscat’s assistant. It remains unclear whether Muscat’s Shanghai colleagues Ross Aloisi and Vince Lerald will accompany him to Glasgow.
However, a less visible but potentially important actor is Les Géris.
Speaking on the latest episode of Daily Record’s Hotline Live, Keith Jackson believes the current Shanghai Port high-performance chief is the most likely transfer candidate, given his enduring bond with Muscat and key role in implementing his desired tactical approach.
“The two names that have been put forward this afternoon as players coming to Glasgow from Shanghai, probably along with Kevin Muscat, are Ross Aloisi and Vince Lerald,” Jackson said.
“I don’t know about that. I suspect the backroom team will be selected from the locals here at the Scottish grounds.”
“But one person to watch in terms of potentially making the same journey from Shanghai to Glasgow is a very interesting person called Les Geris, who is currently employed as head of high performance in Shanghai.
“This guy’s association with Kevin Muscat goes back decades. I think he worked for the Socceroos and was also in the Australian national team.”
“He is extremely medically qualified and was also a physiotherapist at one point.
“But he has emerged as a real key man in Muscat’s set-up because it is his job to make sure the payers are at their peak and reach the fitness level that Muscat believes is absolutely essential to playing his style of football.”
“As we saw with Ange Postecoglou playing for Celtic as well, it’s really intense, high-tempo stuff.
“So I think Les Géris could be an important factor and he would probably make the same journey from Shanghai to Glasgow, giving the coaching staff more of a local feel.”
