Laurie Ellis quits Rangers academy for new Hearts role

Rangers academy coach Laurie Ellis has left the club to take up a role at Hearts.

The 45-year-old has been working as a lead coach for the under-15s and under-16s sides but will now move on to take up the position of head of academy coaching.

Ellis had first team roles at Raith Rovers and Dundee United and the manager’s gig at Queen’s Park for a short time before moving to work in the Rangers academy.

He now moves back to the capital with his boyhood club, where he will work closely with former Ger Andy Webster and Shelley Kerr to help develop coaches and players in the Hearts academy

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Ellis guided a young Light Blues team to third lkass International Cup in Qatar this year, only finishing behind Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

He holds a UEFA Pro Licence qualification and also previously worked for for the Scottish Football Association performance schools.

The lure of his boyhood club has proved too much to turn down and there will now be a vacancy at Ibrox.