RANGERS have hired an English Premier League public relations guru to act as a communications consultant to the club.

Paul Tyrrell, who previously handled the media relations for Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City, is understood to have been appointed on a temporary basis by the troubled Ibrox club.

A spokeswoman said: "The club can confirm we have appointed Paul Tyrrell on a consultancy basis to assist with strategic communications over the coming months." It comes after the club's previous director of communications, Jim Traynor, a former Herald, BBC and Daily Record sports journalist, left in November after less than a year in the post. His departure was said to be mutual and "part of cost-cutting".

Last month the club also ended its contract with PR agency Media House Inter­national, run by former newspaper editor Jack Irvine.

Mr Tyrell has attracted controversy during previous stints as a PR manager.

Leaked documents from his time as head of press at Liverpool FC revealed he had compared a supporters' group, the Spirit Of Shankly, to the "sporting version" of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia's genocidal dictatorship.

He resigned as communications chief for Everton FC last year following criticism over club rebranding.