Rangers diehard and Leeds insider reveals messages he sent to 49ers chief that makes everything crystal clear

Daily Record

21 hours ago

Elland Road legend Stuart Dallas hopes his boyhood heroes can get back to the top under a man he knows well
Stuart Dallas watched Paraag Marathe get swept up in the emotion of Leeds' open-top bus parade.
But the Elland Road legend has told the new Ibrox chief that won't come close to the noise and colour he'll be treated to if he can get the support in Glasgow on board with his Rangers revolution.
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Dallas may be a hero in Yorkshire after spending almost a decade with the Premier League new boys.
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But the former Northern Ireland international grew up idolising the Light Blues along with the rest of his Gers-daft family.
A regular in the stands at Ibrox, the 34-year-old retired full-back admits he'll now be a keen onlooker as Marathe gets down to work with Rangers.
The San Francisco 49ers exec and Leeds chairman has partnered up with fellow American Andrew Cavenagh to take control at Ibrox.
He'll hope now to replicate the success he's enjoyed so far down south having masterminded the overhaul that lead to Leeds bouncing back to the English top-flight two years on from their relegation misery.
That promotion triumph sparked scenes of joy last month as Marathe and Daniel Farke's side steered a party boss through streets packed with 150,000 jubilant supporters.
But Dallas reckons that will be nothing compared to what will happen if the new Rangers vice-chairman get his boyhood heroes motoring.
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'Obviously, Rangers is built on success,' he said. 'I've said to Paraag already, if you get it right at Rangers, you'll never experience anything like it.
"They've done that at Leeds but if you can get it right at both clubs, it will be incredible.
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'I've spoken to him about Rangers. I've exchanged messages, I've obviously seen him at some games towards the end of the season when there were rumours of the takeover going through.
'It's exciting times. It's a big summer for everybody involved because Rangers haven't won enough trophies in recent years. We know that in Scotland, second best isn't good enough.
'Following Rangers myself, I know what it means to the fans. I'm excited for what's ahead. They've got to find a way of getting back to competing on all fronts, not just in Europe.
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'They've got to win trophies first and foremost. They've got to have a squad capable of competing on all fronts.
'That just doesn't mean a good starting XI. They need quality throughout the squad. The board will be working really hard now to bring people in.
'But it is a hard one because Rangers want instant success, the fans want to win. It doesn't always happen overnight. It's going to be interesting to see what happens.'
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Marathe plans to split his time between San Francisco, Elland Road and Ibrox as he juggles his NFL duties in the US with his soccer interests here in the UK. But Dallas is adamant he will be no absentee landlord in Glasgow.
'I have a good relationship with Paraag,' he explained. 'He knows exactly what he wants and that's a good thing. He's very, very passionate but he's also calm and collected.
'What I'll say about Paraag is that he has that passion when he's invested in a club. I don't just mean money, I mean he's emotionally invested in the club too.
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'He's all in but he's very, very calculated too. He's a clever man with good people around him as well. I can only say good things of him and the job they've done at Leeds.
'I have a great relationship with Paraag. He's always available. You could pick up the phone and call or message him.
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"If he was ever in Leeds, you could easily go and have a coffee with him.
'That's because he cares about his players, he cares about the staff. I think that's really important to have that connection within the club.'
The new regime at Ibrox is busy putting together initial plans for the new-look Rangers. Boss Russell Martin has been appointed alongside ex-Everton recruitment specialists Kevin Thelwell and Dan Purdy.
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Dallas doesn't know much more detail than that but reckons if Marathe implements the same upgrades he has at Leeds, it will only bode well for Gers.
He said: 'What I do know is that at Leeds, they're a very well run club. These guys are shrewd operators. It can only be a positive for Rangers. I'm excited to see where Rangers go with it.
"I know the work they've put in at Leeds and how they've rallied around the club again and got it back to the Premier League.
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'It's exciting times to be a Rangers fan. They've gone through the mill in recent years. But finally, they've got an ownership that will be good for the club.
'When there's a new ownership, there are always fans that are sceptical of what the outcome is.
'But the 49ers have drawn up plans for the redevelopment of Elland Road. For that to happen, Leeds need to become an established Premier League side. They'll have looked at when we got promoted and the club didn't quite build on it.
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'These guys won't make the same mistake. They'll make sure they do everything in their power to stop that happening. I'm excited for both clubs, to be honest.
'Both clubs have huge potential. If they get it right at both clubs, it's will be big. I'm not being disrespectful to the Leeds ownership who were there before the 49ers.
'Andrea Radrizzani, Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear were very, very good. The club just needed to go to another level when they reached the Premier League in 2021. They just didn't do it for whatever reason.
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'The 49ers have come in since then. When there's a relegation, it's difficult, not just on the playing side. It's felt throughout the club.
'They've done well to steady the ship and get a team that's capable out on the pitch. The recruitment has been bang on. I think that's maybe where Rangers have lacked in recent years. But that doesn't happen overnight either.
'It's not just about throwing money at something. I go back to Leeds. They've been promoted and people think it's just about going and spending £150 million to survive in the Premier League.
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'Give me £150 million, I could spend it. But that recruitment is key. You've got to have the right people throughout the club, a good structure for that to happen.
"They've got Leeds in order and let's hope they can do the same at Rangers.'
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Cavenagh and Marathe have vowed to underwrite a share issue that will inject £20million into the club later this month.
But Dallas isn't expecting a hugely expensive splurge on transfers having watched Leeds coin in £160million in sales last summer, only to spend £30m of that sum constructing their Championship-winning squad.
He said: 'Recruitment is key but you don't have to spend big money to get a top-quality player. If you have the right recruitment department in place, you can find players that can bring you that quality.
'It's a big summer for both clubs because Leeds need to remain in the Premier League. I think they will do. It's huge for Rangers as well because they've got to close the gap to Celtic.'
Dallas was speaking as he helped promote 10 Years On - a celebratory event taking place at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 2, 2026, marking next year's anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to Ulsterhall.co.uk