Rangers: ‘Second best unacceptable’ for ‘standout’ Leanne Crichton

“They’ve won four trophies from six, which I think is really admirable, but ultimately for us it will be a real focus on the league title. It’s the one that’s been missing and we know with that comes the lure of European football.”

That focus is shared by managing director Donald Gillies, who revealed that Crichton became the standout candidate after performing “incredibly well” during the interview process and emerged as “someone who can lead the club to a real positive destination”.

On the upcoming SWPL campaign, he added: “It’s a priority for the club. We’ve been close in the last three years, but this one has eluded us.”

Gillies believes the women’s set up will benefit from Rangers’ new US-based owners, who are eager to facilitate progress and take that “to the next chapter”.

“They’re challenging me,” he added. “What does the future look like? What do you need from us? What’s the European landscape looking like for us?

“The ambitions of the women’s team certainly match where the ownership wants to take the ambitions of the club.”