There’s a habit that creeps into our support every window: looking at SPFL signings as “small-time” before a ball’s even been kicked. Truth is, Rangers have made a right good living over the years by picking off the best players in Scotland and asking them to step up. Plenty did. Plenty thrived.
Just think of the names supporters still talk about with real warmth: Andy Goram, Davie Robertson, Neil McCann, Kris Boyd, Gordon Petric, Nacho Novo, Kenny Miller. Different eras, different squads, but the same point stands. They came from within our game and didn’t shrink in the shirt. They understood the league, the pitches, the pressure, and the expectations that come with an Ibrox Saturday.
The “best of the rest” approach isn’t new
Rangers and Celtic have always taken the strongest performers from the rest of the division when it suited. It’s not some modern desperation move, it’s part of how Scottish football has worked for generations. And it’s never automatically been a downgrade.
There’s also a common sense angle to it. Players who’ve already proved they can handle the SPFL bring a certain reliability. They know what it’s like when the game turns scrappy. They’ve played in the wind, on tight pitches, and in matches where the crowd is right on top of you. That matters when you’re trying to grind out results in February.
Stop turning our noses up at hard-working pros
The point being made by supporters is simple enough: lads like Delvin, Gogic and Shankland have shown they can do a job in this league. That doesn’t mean every single one is automatically Rangers quality, but it does mean they’ve earned the right to be discussed without the sneering.
Walter Smith’s sides signed plenty from Scotland and, more often than not, you got a player who understood what was required. Not just ability, but temperament. You can see why that appeals when you’re trying to build a squad with a bit more bite and a bit more honesty to it.
If you wait too long, you pay for it
The other side of it is value. If Rangers hesitate and a player gets a move elsewhere, suddenly you’re dealing with a fee and wages that feel out of reach. Fans will point to examples like McGinn, Doig, Hickey and Ferguson as the kind of situations where clubs end up saying “we should’ve moved sooner”.
No guarantees in recruitment, of course. But sometimes it really is better the devil you know, especially when the player’s already shown they can handle the week-to-week grind of Scottish football.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
