ALLAN McGREGOR believes Rangers are in safe hands with Jack Butland and Robby McCrorie.
The Gers Hall of Famer was speaking for the first time since his departure in the summer as part of UEFA’s Access All Areas feature documenting the history of the No.1 jersey at Rangers.
McGregor called time on his second spell at the club at the end of last season, with the Light Blues moving swiftly to secure the services of England international Butland.
And the 30-year-old has wasted precious little time in making an impression on the Ibrox support, ably supported in the goalkeeping department by Scotland international Robby McCrorie, Jon McLaughlin, and Academy graduate Kieran Wright.
Speaking as part of the feature, McGregor said of his Ibrox successor between the posts: “He [Butland] has been very, very good. [From] what I’ve seen, I think he’s been top class and a great signing.
“I’ve seen him at a testimonial and spoke to him. I was at one of the games – he came up after and I spoke to him.
“I beat him at golf a couple of times since then as well so, yeah, we get on well. I think it’s just a goalie thing in general to be honest with you.
“I did not know his personality beforehand, but after meeting him I think he’s very calm, composed. I’d imagine anybody coming to this club would relish winning stuff, I think he’s got that in him as well. And he’s a great goalkeeper, so that’s always a bonus.
“I was in the exact same position [as McCrorie]. I see that we probably have a very similar age and they brought in Paul Le Guen and signed Lionel Letizi.
“And I remember speaking to Billy Thompson about it in pre-season. I’d just been out on loan the year before, and I said, “I need to be able to play?” And I got, “Just wait, leave it, wait for your time”.
“I mean luckily for me, Lionel [Letizi] got injured and I got a wee chance. He came back and got injured again and then that was it.
“So, I do think there has to be a bit of luck in it – on Robby’s point.”
McGregor made his Rangers debut as a 20-year-old in 2002, before establishing himself in the side under Le Guen, and later the legendary Walter Smith, and collecting a host of domestic honours.
The former Scotland international was unfortunate not to play a part in the UEFA Cup final in 2008, but the opportunity would present itself once again when the Light Blues reached the final in Seville last year.
Indeed, the goalkeeper made his Ibrox return ten years after the final in Manchester, playing an integral role in the club’s 55th league title success under Steven Gerrard in 2021.
The time then arrived for McGregor to bid farewell to the Rangers supporters in what proved an emotional evening at Ibrox after the full-time whistle against Hearts.
McGregor added: “Well, when I came in full-time it was John Brown and John McGregor. I think Bomber [John Brown] was what epitomised the club, standards everywhere; whatever you do, you have high standards at this club. And that’s the way it should be.
“I remember, I used to stay in digs with Tiny [Mary Gallacher], sadly she’s just passed away, across from Ibrox and we must have got home – me and Steven MacLean stayed there – and it was five o’clock at night, and the mobile phone goes, one of those old Nokias at the time, Bomber, “Showers aren’t clean, get yourselves back here.”
“So, they’re just the standards. [If] they weren’t clean right, you get yourselves back and do it right. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It was the worst… I hated that, to be fair, but it gave you the character to go on and respect the standards at this club.
“I think when you’re a wee guy at [a young] age, all you want to do is be a professional football player. You want to play every week.
“Even at 17, 18, 19, all these young boys who go out on loan, they just want to play.
“Eventually, obviously you do want to play in the Rangers first-team, but not everybody is going to do that.
“So, first and foremost, it was a great opportunity to learn, but at the end of the day you want to be a professional footballer. But I was just lucky enough to do it here for a number of years.
“Getting to 500 games for this club, being all-time European appearance holder, winning things, playing for Scotland as well. Aye, it’s these things.”