LEE MCCULLOCH enjoyed great success and a few lows during his 8-season spell with Rangers but he will always regard his time at Ibrox as the pinnacle of his career.
Signed by Walter Smith in 2007 from Wigan, he won every major domestic honour possible with the Light Blues – 3 top flight league titles, 2 Scottish Cups, 3 League Cups - and remained loyal after Administration in 2012, helping the club work their way through the leagues.
He also played an important role during the 2008 UEFA Cup Final run and was proud to be appointed captain by Ally McCoist as Gers began their journey back to the top of Scottish Football.
His spell in Glasgow ended in play-off disappointment against former club Motherwell in 2015 but he has cherished memories of pulling on the famous blue jersey and is immensely proud to have his name permanently etched on the Hall of Fame Board above the Marble Staircase at Ibrox Stadium.
Recalling his time at Rangers as he showed his support for RYDC’s Museum Lotto – all profit goes to the club to help with the museum’s upkeep and maintenance and fans can win a weekly top prize of £2,000 - McCulloch said: “It was a dream move to Rangers.
“I had a couple of successful seasons with Wigan in the English Premiership and the club accepted a bid for me. When Walter called I was straight up the road to sign.
“Meeting Walter was brilliant. He told me his plans and the expectations at the club. I was in awe of such a great man.
“After I met Walter, Sandy Jardine showed me round the training ground and Ibrox. He helped me find a house and kept on drilling in to me what it meant to be a Rangers player.
“You have to remember you are representing the club at all times and it was great to hear how he spoke about Rangers.
“Both were true Rangers greats but also great men.
“Walter and Sandy would have loved the new museum. They both played such a huge part in the club’s history and I think they would have been delighted to see it.
“I thought the museum was absolutely amazing and it got me going right away.
“As soon as you walk in and hear the music and see all the honours the club has won – it gets you emotional right away.
“It’s an amazing experience and from a personal point of view it was great to see the Hall of Fame wall.
“There is so much to see and it has been so well thought out and planned. It’s a tremendous place to go and the memories came flooding back.
“Under Walter, it was such a successful time and we won lots of trophies. I had a good start, scoring on my debut in a Champions League qualifier against Zeta and it was the perfect beginning to my Rangers career.
“It was just the start of a tremendous time in my life.
“We played something like 68 games that first season but we had a togetherness in the dressing room and that came from Walter, Ally, Ian Durrant and Kenny McDowall.
“They helped us on our way and we were obviously disappointed not to win the league that year but we won two trophies and enjoyed the run to the UEFA Cup Final.
“It was an amazing experience but we were disappointed we didn’t win it. That was the mentality we had in the dressing room.
“We had some great results in Europe in 2007/08, notably beating Lyon who were the French champions at their own ground.
“It was a phenomenal result, a great team performance and I was delighted to score. It’s a night I will never forget.
“We played to our strengths and had a togetherness on the pitch during the European run. It might not have been pretty at times but we were effective.
“We had really good players and hard work and togetherness got us through.
“We rode our luck at times and Allan McGregor was incredible in some games but every player contributed.
“Looking back now, what a season. We fell short in the league, we had to play so many games in a short space of time, but we still won two cups and the next year we won the league title.
“It was brilliant to do it and we won three in a row. It meant the world to me to win trophies at Rangers and we did it against a good Celtic side too.
“We had so many leaders in the dressing room. David Weir, Barry Ferguson, Allan McGregor, Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd, Kevin Thomson – we all had something to say at half time if things weren’t going well as the standards and expectations were so high.
“It was the same at training, we had a culture of winning.
“Winning the league at Kilmarnock in Walter’s final match in charge was incredible. We needed to make sure we won it for him and I remember that day so clearly.
“We were a few goals up early on and it was a great send off for him. You never forget times like that and it makes you proud to play for such a great club.
“To play a small part in the history of this club is amazing and it’s something I will never forget. I’m really proud to have achieved so much at Rangers.
“I also contributed as the club made its way back through the leagues after Administration.
“Lee Wallace stayed, Ally McCoist stayed and I stayed as we wanted to help the club on the journey back up the leagues and I felt I did that.
“But the fans stayed loyal and that was the most important thing. They supported the club home and away and were incredible.
“Ally also gave me the captaincy during that period and I wasn’t expecting it.
“He took me into his office and told me what it was like when he was asked by Walter to be captain for a short spell. Ally did the same with me and asked me to be the captain of this great club. Of course I said yes. It was emotional and I was straight on the phone to my dad.
“It was an honour but I knew there was work to do.
“When you are given that level of responsibility you need to deal with it and make sure your level of performance is high but also help the other players in the squad.
“It was an important time in my life.
“Lifting trophies and winning leagues was great but the pinnacle was my inclusion in the Rangers Hall of Fame.
“I remember Sandy told me after training one day. He told me to enjoy the moment but remember there was still work to be done on the Saturday!
“My family were there to see me getting the trophy and it was an incredible night.
“Being at Rangers was a rollercoaster of emotion at times. Even the draws felt like defeats and there were some lows but the highs by far outweighed them.
“To win so many medals and deal with being a Rangers player and the pressure that comes with it stood me in good stead for life.
“I look back and I’m proud to say I played over 300 games for the club, was captain, won trophies and I’m in the Hall of Fame.
“I also scored a lot of goals for Rangers – something like 80 odd – and it was always special to do that.
“There was no better feeling than scoring in an Old Firm game. I actually scored on my debut but it was ruled offside and it wasn’t!
“But to score a crucial header at Celtic Park that maintained our lead in the title race was fantastic.
“Walter used to tell me to take shots from 30 yards if they were on and I scored a few crackers. I remember one against Aberdeen at Ibrox which was really enjoyable. Some ended up in the stand of course but a few went into the top corner which is always great to look back on.
“Ally did it over 350 times which is just incredible, he will always be one of my heroes. It was great to have him in the dressing room when I was there.
“Looking back it was a phenomenal journey and my time at Rangers was by far the highlight of my career.
“I played in the English top flight and represented my country, which was always a proud moment, but when I look back playing with Rangers was the pinnacle of my career and I was honoured to do so.”
Fans can learn more about Lee’s Ibrox career in the new Rangers Museum and profit from RYDC’s Rangers Museum Lotto product will help fund its upkeep and maintenance.
It costs £1 to play and a top prize of £2000, a second prize of £500 and 10 prizes of £20 are on offer each week.
Over 18s can scan the QR Code below, CLICK HERE or call RYDC on 0141 427 4914 to sign up