FORMER Sheffield United owner Mike McDonald was today revealed as the first member of Charles Green's 20 strong consortium attempting to complete the take-over at Ibrox.
His emergence comes as SFA chief Stewart Regan is ready to call for full transparency of the new Rangers business plan and the individuals involved at a meeting scheduled to take place with the consortium's leader Green later this week.
Green will be asked to reveal the identity of all members of his consortium at the informal meeting and has already promised to comply with the need for full disclosure.
High-profile English agent Paul Stretford will also be involved in the new-look Rangers and is set to take charge of all buying and selling of players.
And it is understood that former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is also giving serious consideration to joining the group.
He said: "We've been approached about joining the consortium and are considering it. Once we have got all the details we will make our decision. The bottom line is Rangers are a big club. It's a global brand and we are seriously looking at it."
McDonald insisted today that significant cash investment in Rangers will be tabled. He said: "It is pointless to get involved if we weren't going to invest in the playing side in the correct manner. We see that as a major priority although obviously that is dependant on the SFA's transfer embargo.
"But we know that Ally McCoist needs to strengthen his team and also to keep some of the players he already has at the club. We have got all our funding together for every aspect of the take-over and now it is just a case of sorting it out."
He added: "Charles has brought significant funds to the table because we know we need hundreds of millions to be successful.
"There are a lot of people who are in this game for the publicity and think they can run a football club on a shoestring, but it just isn't possible. I know that.
The former Sheffield United supremo added: "The reason the consortium is involved is because unless you are a sheikh or you have extreme wealth then it is very difficult for one person to fund a big-name football club like Rangers.
"I told Charles that if he wanted to do it then he would need to go down the route of a consortium so we would have the financial clout that Rangers needed.
"Charles has gone away and done that and that is why we have money coming in from Europe, the UK, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Singapore."
McDonald has also moved to assure the Ibrox club's support that Champions League success is the consortium's ultimate target.
He said: "Everyone of the consortium wants to get Rangers back to where they should be. It is a massive club and it should be at the forefront of British and European football. Why can't that be done?"
However former Rangers manager Graeme Souness has ruled himself out of any involvement with the Green consortium.
Souness said: "I spoke with Charles, but there was no talk of me joining him or anything he's got going.
"He asked my opinion on a couple of things, but that was about it."
bert.mitchell@eveningtimes.co.uk