I fear Celtic are about to overtake Rangers as the most successful club in the world admits Dave King

DAVE KING is willing to return to Rangers as chairman, outlining his two-year plan to get the Ibrox club back on track.

And the 69-year-old has revealed the biggest challenges he would face if he replaces John Bennett as supremo.

4 Dave King is willing to return as chairman of Rangers but is aware of the huge task that would be on his hands Credit: PA

4 Celtic are already five points clear of Rangers in the Premiership and are looking to draw level with their rivals' 55 league titles Credit: SNS

4 King says he is disappointed that managers 'have been able to do their own thing without oversight from the board' Credit: Alamy

Rangers already trail Celtic by five points in the Scottish Premiership and are at risk of the Parkhead side levelling their record haul of league titles this season.

If Celts lift more trophies this season than Gers, they will also usurp their Glasgow rivals as the most successful team in the world, with the tally currently 118 major cups apiece.

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King would aim to lift standards both on and off the pitch, and told talkSPORT exactly how much of a threat Celtic pose.

He said: "My fear, longer term as a fan, isn’t about stopping 10-in-a-row, which was my previous target.

"One thing we do hang onto is we are still the most successful club in the world, and if we slip too long we might lose that.

"There is a level of urgency, this season is slipping.

"It will be very challenging with European games coming up and Rangers could be in a very difficult place by October."

Gers legend Graeme Souness recently said he doesn't think there is a gulf between the two Old Firm teams, but King voiced his disagreement.

He said: "I have the utmost respect for Graeme and he knows a lot more about football than me, but there is a very significant gap on and off the pitch between us and Celtic.

"There’s no leadership."

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The former chairman also reflected on the work he, Paul Murray and new temporary chairman John Gilligan did when they saved the club in 2015, and his disappointment at some of the backwards steps taken since then.

He said: "We had to rebuild all the policies, procedures, recruitment and scouting, everything in the club was broken and we got it to a point where were able to make decisions and take some management risks.

"At least there was a solidarity and progress was being made and that got us to 55 [league titles], which was the target.

"My biggest disappointment is to see the areas where we have gone backwards, where policies that were in place are no longer complied with by the present board, such as recruitment of players and how we write commercial contracts with players.

"All of the things we were very careful with have just been abandoned, managers being allowed to do their own thing with no oversight from the board.

"The limited resources we had in competing with our neighbours had to be applied very smartly, but we did the opposite, we’ve actually wasted money.

"There was a great opportunity with the American consortium, we were trying to get substantial funds into the club and I’d seen proof of funds and negotiated with them in a business basis.

"It was rejected by Douglas Park, not even by the board, on the basis the board would put the money in and had everything under control, but clearly that hasn’t happened.

"Not only have we failed to take in new money that was vital to closing the gap, but we’ve also wasted the limited resources we did have, and wasted the value of the Europa League run and transfer fees from Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey.

"It won’t be comfortable for some who are in place right now, they know how I work.

"I’m quite direct and expect results quickly and people to put their shoulder to the wheel.

"I am the largest shareholder so have an economic interest to get things right, and I have a track record.

"There’s two major objectives - to reintroduced the operational policies that have gone missing, and to find new investment.

"I have no idea what I will find but hopefully it’s not as bad as when I went in years ago."

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