MARK ALLEN has left his role as Rangers Director of Football after two years at Ibrox.

The Welshman was brought to Glasgow from Manchester City in June 2017 to oversee the Light Blues' transformation on and off the park under the new regime headed by chairman Dave King.

Allen was involved in the process that lead to Steven Gerrard being appointed as Gers boss last summer but has now left his position for family reasons and to explore other options within the game.

Allen said: “It has been a privilege to work for Rangers, one of the biggest clubs in football with such a phenomenal fan base, and I’ve loved every minute.

"Bringing Steven Gerrard to the club will always be a special point in my career and I would like to thank him, his excellent staff, the players and all the staff at Rangers for their support throughout my tenure. My greatest wish is for Rangers to start winning trophies again and I wish them all the very best for the future."

In a statement on Friday evening, Rangers thanked Allen for his efforts in raising the standard of the Ibrox squad over recent transfer windows and for the changes he had implemented at the Hummel Training Centre during his tenure.

Gerrard said: “I would like to place on record my sincere gratitude to Mark for the incredible support he has shown to me and all of my staff since I came to the club 16 months ago. Mark’s success here is evident for all to see and we would all like to wish him well moving forward.”