Former Rangers player and manager Ally McCoist feels that Sunderland have made a top notch appointment in the shape of Martin Bain and admits not having had the chance to work with the chief executive is his biggest regret as Gers boss.
Bain, who worked for Rangers from 1996 until 2011, recently held the post of chief executive at Israeli giants Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
He answered the call from Sunderland however and took over as chief executive at the Stadium of Light earlier this summer, a move which marked a return to British football.
For McCoist, who knows Bain well, Sunderland have scored a coup in appointing someone with a vast knowledge of football, but also the know-how to leave the football business to the football men, providing support when needed.
McCoist is a firm fan of Bain and the way he conducts his business and explained that he hugely regrets not having had the chance to work alongside the CEO during his spell as Rangers manager.
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"He's the best, believe me, he's absolutely excellent", the former striker said on BBC Radio 5 live.
"One of, if not my biggest, regrets when I was manager at Rangers was the fact that Martin wasn't able to stay on and I could work beside him.
"I'd known Martin for a great number of years, obviously being there as a player and as assistant manager to Walter [Smith]."
McCoist explained Bain has superb judgement and will be of great help to Sunderland boss David Moyes, letting him get on with the job, but also providing crucial support when needed.
"Great knowledge of football, let the football guys, the management, get on with their job, but was always there to help them when needed, could smell a rat from a hundred miles away – that's why when the takeover bid, which ended in tears for Rangers, Martin was dead against it, he could see what was happening.
"For Martin's own point of view I'm absolutely delighted that things worked out for him after he left Rangers. He ended up going to Israel, had some great success there, Champions League football with [Maccabi] Tel-Aviv.
"And I think Sunderland, and I think I can speak for David Moyes as well, David will really enjoy working with a great chief executive like Martin", the 53-year-old continued.
"He'll be there when David needs him, but he'll also let David get on with the job."
The size of Moyes' task at Sunderland was underlined on Monday evening with the Black Cats suffering a 3-0 defeat at home to the Scot's former club, Everton.
