Former Rangers chairman Dave King says major boardroom changes are required at Ibrox to prevent the club from “stagnating”.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked on Monday midway through his first full season in charge with the team nine points adrift of champions Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

King, who stepped down from the board in 2020 to be succeeded by Douglas Park, remains Rangers’ largest individual shareholder and is no fan of the current regime.

At last year’s annual general meeting he voted against the re-election of Park’s son Graeme and has said he will use his vote at the upcoming AGM to oppose the current chairman continuing in his role.

“I think we can be back winning the title, but the way things are going at the moment, unless changes are made to the leadership of the board and the executive of the club, I fear we’ll be stagnating for a long time to come,” said the South Africa-based businessman.

“I was already having concerns about where this regime was headed.

“I felt some of the things happening were unacceptable, un-Rangers-like. The treatment of ex-players, the treatment of supporters. I felt voting against Graeme would make that point.

“I had to put my money where my mouth was and use my vote to go along with what my concerns were. It was heading in the wrong direction.

“I didn’t like the way Steven Gerrard was forced out of the club. It’s not the way to treat people that delivered a title for us. I couldn’t not vote with my conscience.

“We really should have invested and kicked on. We could have bought Steven what he wanted. There were reasons why I had to go.

“At the time, I felt the board would continue. I regret what happened. When I go back to 55, we should have kicked on with a great manager and defended the title. I think the board thought they could do it on the cheap.”

The AGM is scheduled to take place on 6 December.

Current Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale is among the favourites to replace Van Bronckhorst having served as first team coach under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.