Wolves set for shake-up with long-serving academy boss to leave for Old Firm side Rangers

The long-serving Hunter-Barrett is expected to leave Molineux and move north of the border after accepting an offer to head-up the Scottish giants’ youth system.

The 35-year-old has been poached by former Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who now has the same role at Ibrox and has been tasked with undertaking a large-scale restructure of the Glasgow club.

Hunter-Barrett is poised to be among several new appointments after being convinced to bring an end to his 14-year-stay at Molineux, where he has been academy manager for football since 2022. 

Born in Smethwick, he began coaching as a teenager at Walsall’s centre of excellence, before being recruited by Mick Halsall when the latter moved to Wolves in 2011.

Initially employed by the club on a part-time basis, Hunter-Barrett gradually worked his way up through the ranks, holding a variety of positions including that of foundation phase coach. 

A Uefa A licence holder who also has a masters degree in sporting directorships, he was previously head of coaching before being appointed academy manager following Scott Sellars’ elevation to sporting director.

Wolves will have time to source a replacement, either externally or internally, while Hunter-Barrett serves his notice period before making the move north.

There he will replace David McCallum as Rangers academy boss, with the latter having taken the role on an interim basis last summer following the exit of former chief Zeb Jacobs to Feyenoord.

Hunter-Barrett will become the latest appointment by Thelwell, who worked himself as Wolves’ academy manager before serving as sporting director between 2016 and 2020.

He has since held the same role with New York Red Bulls and Everton before joining Rangers in April, though his first six months at Ibrox have not gone smoothly.

Thelwell has found himself quickly under scrutiny following the disastrous appointment of Russell Martin as the club’s manager. Martin was sacked last weekend after taking charge of just 17 matches, with the team sitting eighth in the Scottish Premiership.

Steven Gerrard is favourite to replace Martin and return to the Ibrox hotseat, three years on from leaving for Villa. The former Liverpool and England midfielder was due to hold talks with senior Rangers officials in London on Thursday.

Thelwell’s restructure has included several new appointments including that of his 26-year-old son, Robbie, as the club’s head of recruitment.