Ibrox icon Ally McCoist watched John Souttar play his Heart out against Rangers at Hampden on Saturday.
And he knew there and then the Scotland defender would be a star for Rangers next season. McCoist just hopes it’s with Connor Goldson rather than in place of the centre-back whose contract is up and looks set to return to England in the summer.
The former Rangers striker and manager is an optimist and would love nothing more than for Goldson to stay. But McCoist has seen enough in Souttar to believe Gio van Bronckhorst is in a win-win situation.
Souttar, who signed a pre-contract at Ibrox in January, was thrust back into Scottish Cup final action after a two-month injury absence and was the Jambos’ best outfield player.
McCoist, on punditry duty at the match, had nothing but admiration for the way the 25-year-old handled a potentially awkward
situation by giving everything he had to win the Cup for the team he was leaving against his new employers.
McCoist said: “It was a tough gig for him. You’ve got to have character when you move to Rangers and Celtic. It’s the bare minimum required at the Old Firm.
“He was under a lot of scrutiny but I thought he came through it with flying colours. I’d like to have seen him play against a centre-forward right enough!”
That was a jocular reference to Rangers being forced to play Joe Aribo through the middle in the absence of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.
But McCoist was deadly serious in his appraisal of Souttar’s performance at the heart of Robbie Neilson’s defence. He added: “I thought he was immense.
“He dealt with it all so well and so did big Craig Halkett, another boy I know really well. But Souttar showed on Saturday he’s more than up for the challenge. I just hope he stays fit.
“He was terrific at Hampden. There were a couple of forward runs and I thought he defended superbly. The ball was like a magnet to his head for a period.
“I just wish him all the best and I hope the lad stays fit.”
The ex-Rangers manager was delighted that current Ibrox gaffer van Bronckhorst got his hands on silverware at the end of a week that had seen his side come so close to Europa League glory.
McCoist said: “It’s the very least this team deserves for what’s been a fantastic season.
“I thought Celtic deservedly won the league but you couldn’t argue with those two teams being in the cup final because I thought both Rangers and Hearts had both great seasons.
“It would have been a real blow had Rangers came out of it with nothing to show for it in terms of success over the season.
“Hearts in finishing third have had a terrific season but Rangers thoroughly deserved to win the Final.
“It’s the very least Gio and the boys deserved after the campaign they’ve had.”
Now the Dutchman has work to do in the summer, with uncertainty over key players such as Goldson, Steven Davis, Leon Balogun and Allan McGregor, all of whom are out of contract.
With Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo returning to Juventus and Manchester United after loan periods, there will
be ins and outs but McCoist would like to see the old guard being retained for another season.
He said: “Connor is the one that’s interesting. I know they’ve offered him something and it will be interesting to see what happens. But from Rangers’ point of view it would be great if he stayed.
“I know John Souttar is coming – who, as I say, I thought was excellent at Hampden on Saturday, particularly during
the 90 minutes – but Goldson is a good player.
“And Steven Davis over these last two games looks like he’s got another year in him anyway.
“We get a little bit caught up in age sometimes rather than performance. If you take age out the equation, then his performances warrant another year.
“So it will be interesting to see what happens but Davo certainly looks like he could play on. I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know what will happen with Greegs (Allan McGregor). He’ll make his own mind up.
“You know what Greegsy is like. He might not fancy it, he may have had enough.”
If McGregor’s final appearance was the last-minute cameo at Hampden in the Cup Final, McCoist reckons the keeper can
leave with his place firmly established in the pantheon of Ibrox greats.
McCoist said: “He’s been phenomenal. Rangers have had some unbelievable goalkeepers in the past, particularly over the last 30, 40 years.
“You go back through them and there’s Chris Woods, Andy Goram, Stefan Klos and now McGregor, who is up there with all of them.
“I get asked all the time who’s the best – Goram or McGregor?
“But it’s the most unfair question of all time.
“I played with Goram who was fantastic but McGregor is out of this world. He really is.
“He made a couple of errors earlier in the season when he was up at Ross County and everybody automatically puts it down to age.
“But that’s wrong because keepers at 17 make the same mistakes that keepers at 37 make. So I don’t think it was anything to do with age. It was just one of those games he had. His performances and contribution to the club over these last few years have been unbelievable.”
