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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Giovanni van Bronckhorst fends off Man Utd hero for new job

Former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is back in football management.

The Dutchman has been appointed as the new boss of Besiktas.

The Turkish side has signed the 49-year-old on a two-year deal until the summer of 2026, with an option to extend that by a further year.

The former left-back has been out of the game since he was dismissed by the Ibrox club in the November of 2022.

As well as the Scottish Premiership, Van Bronckhorst has experience of managing in the Europa League, as well as the Eredivisie. 

Besiktas finished sixth in the Super Lig last season. They last won the top-flight title in Turkey in 2021.

Reports had suggested that ex-Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was nearing an agreement to take over at Besiktas.

However, Gio has been given the job and he will get to work to try to restore the club to its former glory.

Meanwhile, John Lundstram insists he'll always be a Rangers fan as he penned an emotional farewell to the club.

The 30-year-old left the Ibrox side at the end of his contract in June. It is expected that he will join Borna Barisic at Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Lundstram joined under Steven Gerrard three years ago. He played in the Europa League final, won a Scottish Cup and League Cup and featured in the Champions League for the club.

The ex-Sheffield United midfielder admits it will always pain him that he never managed to win a Scottish Premiership title during his time in Glasgow.

But he wished the club all the best moving forward and thanked Philippe Clement among many others.

He wrote on Instagram: "It’s with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to the place I’ve fallen in love with @rangersfc.

"I didn’t know when I walked through the doors, of a place I had no connection to that after three years it would have touched me like it has, it’s well and truly gripped me and now I’ll never be able to stay away!"

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