RANGERS Academy coach Kevin Thomson picks the best players he played with.
It was an easy decision. He is easily the best goalkeeper I played with – a top, top man and it is great to see him back at the club doing ever so well.
He is probably one of the most athletic players I played with – up and down that wing he is an absolute machine. People mentioned about him not being a great defender, but in the modern game full-backs are so explosive going forward and can be such an asset to your team. Obviously the defensive part is important, but Alan Hutton is easily the best right back I’ve played with.
Unfortunately I never played with Jonathan at the best time of his career when he was at Newcastle, Leeds and then going over to Real Madrid, but I was lucky enough to play with him at Middlesbrough. He was a bit in the mould of Davie Weir in terms of being an experienced player, although I caught him at the wrong time as he had a few bad injuries and was no spring chicken. But what a player and what an asset, and whenever he played in the team we did well.
He, of course, one of the best centre-backs I played with here at Rangers. The fans loved him and I think he played 66 or 67 games in that season when we got all the way to the UEFA Cup Final. He was just a machine and a lovely lad. He really did embrace the Scottish boys and the way we do things over here and the culture at the club. I am pretty sure in the fans’ eyes he will always be highly thought of.
This was tricky, and some Rangers fans may be disappointed with this, but David Murphy was probably the best left back I played with. He went down the road and did really well in the Premier League with Birmingham, but he suffered a bad knee injury and never really recovered. It was a toss of the coin between him and Sasa Papac. I know Sasa is an icon among Rangers fans, but in my team I would have really aggressive, flying full-backs to give natural speed in wider areas.
He is one of the best players I played with, if not the best. He was a classy operator and I tried to kick everybody but I could never get him! He was so clever and could make a fool of you. He was an absolute gentleman and another one that embraced the culture.
He is another Rangers icon and is someone who was great with me when I joined the club. He was Mr Rangers and quickly told you in training when things weren’t good enough. That was the environment that I joined. We had Allan McGregor at the back always barking orders and even boys like Alan Hutton who had come through the youths, they knew what was needed to play for Rangers.
For me, he is everything a teammate should be. He was always on the training field and was never injured. He was a great lad and it was a pleasure to play alongside him. The three of them in midfield, for anyone, would take some stopping.
He would maybe prefer to play on the left and cut on his right foot, but he was so naturally two-footed. He is the one player I played with who was self-taught and he was a unique player. His finishing, left foot and right foot, was brilliant too. We used to have shooting challenges in training and he would always take the boys’ money from them.
He was another player who maybe wasn’t as good as he became when I was playing with him, but he had everything. He had a bad injury just before me but hopefully we helped each other and I tried my best to help him when he was stuck in the gym while I was still playing. Then, when he got back fit, I had hurt my knee so it was roles reversed.
He is the only player I know who Walter would allow to sit on a bike through pre-season. He never did any pre-season or any of the running. He used to have a bike wheeled out to the far side and he would sit on the bike while we were doing four-minute runs, but what a great guy. He was a bully of a man, a beast, and he could do what he wanted. If he got his body in front of you there was no moving him, he was just so strong. He was a great lad and a great finisher. He never spoke brilliant English but he integrated into the group really well.