'total Privilege' - Crichton Confirmed As Rangers Head Coach

Leanne Crichton has been confirmed arsenic nan Rangers Women caput coach connected a three-year deal.

The 37-year-old erstwhile Glasgow City, Celtic and Hibernian midfielder is simply a regular pundit connected BBC Scotland's power and tv coverage, aft a successful playing profession which featured 72 caps for her country.

Having spent spells coaching pinch Motherwell and Glasgow City, she now takes a elephantine leap into nan world of guidance arsenic Jo Potter's successor.

Former England world Potter, who opted to move connected to Crystal Palace, won some cups successful some of her seasons successful charge, while Rangers were runners-up successful nan SWPL twice.

Crichton, who had 3 spells arsenic a subordinate astatine City, said leaving nan nine was "one of nan toughest decisions I've had to make".

She is now focused connected pursuing successful Potter's footsteps and delivering silverware astatine Rangers.

"It's a full privilege for maine to beryllium here," she said. "I don't deliberation 2nd champion is acceptable present and for us, that will beryllium nan purpose - that we present a successful team."

So, why person Rangers trusted Crichton to proceed Potter's occurrence and what will she bring to nan role?

"There's nary uncertainty she's ready," Crichton's long-time friend and erstwhile Scotland team-mate Rachel Corsie told BBC Scotland.

"I deliberation astatine immoderate constituent you person to return nan measurement to person your first role.

"She conscionable has this relentlessness. It's a immense opportunity and a immense domiciled and 1 that reflects who Leanne is and nan activity she's put in.

"She's genuinely really excited. I deliberation she knows there's precocious anticipation and that for her is conscionable thing that she thrives upon."

Crichton is nary alien to large stages and precocious pressure, having seen nan women's crippled grow exponentially during her playing career.

She played a cardinal domiciled successful Scotland's first triumph astatine a women's awesome tournament, starting nan onslaught from nan bosom of midfield that led to Caroline Weir's decisive extremity against Spain successful 2017.

Crichton featured successful nan first Women's FA Cup last to return spot astatine Wembley pinch Notts County and won a spate of awesome honours pinch Glasgow City.

"Everyone knew her arsenic a competitory person, nan personification that ne'er gave in," Corsie said.

"There was ever different game, it was ever astir winning nan adjacent game, ever astir winning nan adjacent trophy, for illustration going connected nan hunt, fine-tuning herself, getting better, and connected to nan adjacent thing. That was her arsenic a player."

In summation to nan "authoritative" broadside displayed arsenic a player, Corsie believes coaching has nurtured a much tender broadside to Crichton's personality.

Having taken a player-coach domiciled astatine Motherwell successful 2021, Crichton returned to Glasgow City successful November 2024 to assistance Leanne Ross.

"She's added a full different magnitude - she's a earthy leader, but you return connected a different level of attraction arsenic a coach and she's thrived successful that part," Corsie said.

"Sometimes that's wherever coaches struggle nan most. Whenever these difficult conversations person to happen, if you don't person that narration pinch nan players it tin go fractured rather quickly.

"It's made group really link pinch Leanne. It's helped Leanne activity pinch players and thief them create and make them want to develop."

When asked what she expects Crichton's squad to look for illustration astatine Rangers stylistically, Corsie said she expects a blend of style and substance.

"There's a earthy want to play shot because arsenic a subordinate Leanne was for illustration that.

"She was personification who would willingly put a situation successful but she could publication nan game, she enjoyed nan shot being connected nan ground. So naturally, I deliberation arsenic a coach, she appreciates that."

While admitting she isn't privy to Crichton's preferred formation, Corsie knows their will beryllium definite standards that players simply person to meet.

"She's very good connected to that Scottish shot consciousness though," Corsie said of her erstwhile team-mate.

"And there's decidedly going to beryllium a passion from her that you've sewage to compete.

"The position that you don't want to beryllium outrun, don't want to beryllium outworked. Those are things that Leanne successful her life conscionable would not accept.

"There will beryllium a large anticipation connected playing attacking shot and being really competitory and aggressive."