Rangers Secure Major Coup as Wolves’ Youth chief Heads North
Rangers F.C. have landed a key behind-the-scenes signing with the expected departure of Jon Hunter‑Barrett from Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. after more than 14 years, to join the Glasgow club as Academy Director.
Hunter-Barrett’s appointment is a further sign of the sweeping overhaul underway at Ibrox under new sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who himself arrives from Everton and has already brought in trusted colleagues to bolster Rangers’ football operations.
A trusted wave of recruits
Thelwell’s early moves at Rangers have been bold: former Everton recruitment lead Dan Purdy was brought in as Technical Director, re-uniting with Thelwell from their time at Everton. At the same time, Thelwell’s son, Robbie Thelwell, has been installed as Head of Recruitment in a controversial but high-profile appointment.
The signing of Hunter-Barrett adds another layer: a coach and academy specialist with deep experience in youth development and academy infrastructure at Wolves. It signals that Rangers’ rebuild extends well beyond the first team.
Why Hunter-Barrett?
Hunter-Barrett has spent his entire adult career at Wolves, beginning in 2011 as part-time in their academy, and steadily rising through roles: foundation phase coach, head of coach development, head of coaching & football operations. In 2022 he became Academy Manager for Football, responsible for all football and performance activity in the academy.
At Wolves he gained a Masters in Sporting Directorship and holds a UEFA A Licence, credentials that make him an attractive asset for a club looking to modernise and professionalise its youth pathway.
From Rangers’ perspective, the timing is opportune: the club is undergoing a major internal restructure and needs a strong voice to lead its youth and development arm—Hunter-Barrett fits that brief.
Wolves feel the loss
For Wolves the departure is a blow. Losing a long-serving senior academy figure creates a gap in continuity, culture and coaching infrastructure. Analysts at Molineux note that Hunter-Barrett’s experience and relationships made him a significant figure within the club.
Wolves will now face a challenge in identifying a replacement who can match his institutional knowledge, academy experience, and ability to deliver youth progression across age-groups.
What it means for Rangers
For Rangers, this is more than just a staff appointment: it reflects a broader strategic intent. The club is shifting to a model where recruitment, academy, data and performance are integrated under a sporting framework. With Thelwell at the helm, supported by Purdy, Robbie Thelwell, and now Hunter-Barrett, Rangers are aiming to rebuild from the bottom up.
But the changes come amid pressure. The club’s on-field form has been mixed; scrutiny of recruitment and coaching decisions is intense. The success of this back-office bonanza will be judged not just by appointments, but by results on the pitch and the emergence of home-grown talent.
If Hunter-Barrett can deliver a pipeline of talent, align the academy with first-team performance and help re-establish Rangers as a force in Scottish and European football, then this move will be seen as a masterstroke. If not, it will raise questions about how quickly the rebuild can translate into sustainable success.