Former Rangers chairman and major shareholder Dave King in shock bid to rejoin the Ibrox board

Dave King has revealed that he has offered to rejoin the Rangers board.

The South Africa-based businessman stepped down as Ibrox chairman in March 2020, five years after spearheading regime change that ousted allies of Mike Ashley.

King cited the impact of Covid on business interests in his adopted homeland as a reason why he decided to leave his role at the club, but he now wants to make a dramatic return as a director.

Former Rangers chairman Dave King wants to become a board member at the Ibrox club again

Still the largest shareholder in Rangers with a 15.45 per cent stake, he has recently been at loggerheads with the current hierarchy on a number of issues.

He voted against the re-election of Graeme Park as a director at the recent AGM and has strongly criticised the treatment of fan group Club 1872, with whom he has an agreement to sell his shares.

Also on the board during Sir David Murray’s ownership of Rangers, King says he is eager to help advance the club through a third spell as a director and has informed chairman Douglas Park and colleagues of his wish.

King told Sportsmail: ‘Now that my business interests in South Africa have been stabilised following the devastations of Covid, I have advised the board of RIFC plc that I am available to rejoin the board and offer my services to the further development of the club.

‘I remain the largest shareholder of RIFC and look forward to many years of service to the club and, most importantly, to its supporters.’

King voted against the re-election of Graeme Park as a director at the recent AGM

King’s vote against Park, son of Ibrox chairman Douglas, was not enough to stop the 37-year-old businessman from being re-elected with 81.1 per cent support of shareholders.

Speaking last week, King said he had ‘a continuing moral obligation to consider the interest of supporters at all times. I have voted in accordance with the knowledge I have’.

As well as the Parks, deputy chairman John Bennett, Alastair Johnston, Julian Wolhardt, Barry Scott and company secretary James Blair currently sit on the main board at Rangers.

After stepping down as chairman, King struck a deal to potentially sell his shares to Club 1872 for £13million.

He has since hit out at what he views as an ‘unwarranted unilateral withdrawal’ by Rangers from its relationship with Club 1872, claiming it had left supporters ‘with no effective avenue to challenge the club in situations where challenge is warranted’.

King also criticised the Ibrox hierarchy after former Celtic striker and BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton was twice denied entry to the ground. When Sutton was first barred from Rangers’ Europa League match with Lyon in September, it was said to be due to ‘security concerns’.