Former Blackburn striker Corrado Grabbi has revealed that he found himself on the cusp of a move to Rangers that could have changed the course of his career.
The Italian started out in his homeland before his performances captured the attention of Blackburn in 2001 and he then moved to the Premier League.
Grabbi's time in England did not live up to expectations as he struggled to adapt to the physicality and pace of English football and found it difficult to replicate his scoring prowess of his time in Italy.
A foot injury further hampered his progress, limiting his playing time and affecting his performances. He left Blackburn Rovers in 2003, having scored only 3 goals in 41 appearances for the club.
Following his departure from Blackburn, Grabbi returned to Italy, where he had brief spells with clubs such as Ancona and Pistoiese. However, he was unable to rediscover his previous form and subsequently retired from professional football in 2007.
Reflecting on his time in England, Grabbi has revealed that he almost joined Rangers instead of Blackburn.
He explained to Ternana News: “A team liked me that I really wanted to play for, Glasgow Rangers. I’d seen a film I really liked that was set in Scotland and I was fixated on Rangers.
“My agents told me there was Blackburn but also Rangers. Glasgow was there and then whoever it was that wanted me moved to Blackburn.
“Souness wanted me and then everyone who came to speak to me really wanted me too.
“(Giuseppe) Accardi, who was my agent along with (Giuseppe) Galli, had been the sporting director at Torino when Souness managed there. Udinese wanted me as well.
“The regret is that I go to England and I broke my foot in two. It was right to go to the Premier League. I was one of the first to go there.
“It was a league that was starting to become the real Premier League we know today. I played the first game in Newcastle. In the warm-up there were 15,000 fans. With 5 minute until kick-off, 66 thousand people came out. The Premier League was beautiful, there they experience sport as a spectacle"
