The well-respected Dutchman is set to land an Ibrox coaching gig.
Philippe Clement appears to be bolstering his Rangers backroom team ahead of the new season with the appointment of Andries Ulderink as assistant manager.
The well-respected Dutchman will work alongside current Ibrox No.2 Stephan Van Der Heyden, Brian Gilmour, and first-team coach Alex Rae, who is also part of Clement’s setup but is out of contract this summer.
Ulderink most recently worked as Mark van Bommel’s assistant manager at Belgian club Royal Antwerp for the past two years.
It is believed he joined the Rangers coaching staff for the first time on Monday morning, as members of the first-team squad returned for pre-season training.
Ulderink worked with renowned Dutch and Manchester United defender Jaap Stam during a stay in England with Reading in 2016, then moved to Ajax Cape Town in South Africa two years later before returning to his hometown after accepting a position at FC Twente.
The 54-year-old has nearly 30 years of coaching experience and is thought to be ‘searching for a fresh challenge’.
Clement has previously depended on coaches who have a strong connection to the club and understand its needs, but the Belgian manager has now added a more familiar name to his roster despite increased pressure to maintain a Premiership title bid next season after failing late last season.
Ulderink, whose playing career never progressed beyond amateur football, was a candidate for the NAC Breda management position near the conclusion of last season and will bring a fresh perspective on the training field at Auchenhowie before the 2024/25 season begins.
He has also held several additional coaching, managing, and scouting positions at the youth and senior levels.
Ulderink initially met Stam after working in a variety of roles at Eredivisie heavyweights Ajax and Jong Ajax (B-team).
Stam reflected on their time together at Reading, saying of Ulderink: “I talked to him about his ideology and what he wanted to do, and it clicked.
He has extensive experience in coaching, managing, and creating timetables.
That was just what I needed; you don’t always have to be a professional player to excel in a given league.”
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