Former MK Dons boss Mike Williamson has been appointed as a first team coach at Rangers, where he will join a coaching set-up overseen by fellow ex-Dons boss Russell Martin.

The 41-year-old was one of two coaches appointed at Ibrox as part of Martin’s backroom team, with the club also confirming goalkeeping coach Salvatore Bibbo as part of their new set-up after Bibbo left Sheffield Wednesday.

The role is Williamson’s return to coaching after leaving Carlisle United, having been fired in January after only 5 months at Brunton Park.

Before then, Williamson had spent just under a year as Head Coach at MK Dons. He joined the Dons from Gateshead in October 2023, where he took the Dons to 4th in League Two after arriving with the club in the bottom half.

He then left after being offered the Carlisle job in September 2024, leaving after the Dons were heavily beaten by Crawley in the 2024 League Two play-offs before a more difficult start to the 2024/25 campaign saw the Dons lost 4 of their opening 6 games.

Williamson will join a set-up overseen by Martin and which also features another ex-Don in Matt Gill, who spent two months working as part of Martin’s coaching staff in 2021 at Stadium MK. Gill later moved to Swansea when Martin took the job in South Wales, with Gill also working with Martin at Southampton.

Confirmation of Williamson and Bibbo’s appointments came ahead of Rangers’ first home pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025-26 season, with Rangers due to host Belgian side Club Brugge tomorrow (06/07).

Martin, who was MK Dons boss between November 2019 and August 2021, told the official Rangers website that he was looking forward to working with his two new appointments.

He said, “I am delighted to have Mike and Sal join my team ahead of the new season.

“I played with Mike at Wycombe Wanderers so we go back a long way, and I know the qualities he can bring to this group. As a player he played at the very top level and is an experienced coach having been a manager himself.

“I am also really happy to bring Sal into the team, he has a lot of experience and a strong track record of developing goalkeepers. After speaking to him it was clear that his knowledge and character will be a real asset to the players and the staff, and I am looking forward to working with them both.”

Gers Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell added, “I would like to welcome both Mike and Sal to Rangers. They are both experienced coaches who will bring a lot of knowledge to the club.

“Their addition strengthens Russell Martin’s coaching team and reflects our continued commitment to building the best environment capable of delivering success on and off the pitch.”