Zurab Khizanishvili hopes another title triumph and a Champions League chance persuades Connor Goldson to remain at Rangers.
The centre-half is approaching the end of his contract and can leave for free this summer.
Former Rangers star Khizanishvili is a huge fan of the Englishman and impressed by how he has played as the deal runs down.
Goldson grabbed a vital late goal before the international break as a come-from-behind win over Dundee kept Rangers within three points of top spot.
‘Zura’ thinks he’s key to his former club scoring a massive Old Firm victory on Sunday and levelling up a thrilling title race.
Goldson netted twice at Celtic Park last season on Rangers’ invincible run to the title.
The club then hoped to secure the 29-year-old’s services long term but that trail has gone cold.
Khizanishvili played in the Premier League for Blackburn after leaving Ibrox and also for Newcastle and Reading in the English second tier.
But he reckons there’s nothing to beat being at Rangers and hopes the penny drops with Goldson before he pursues the pounds elsewhere.
Khizanishvili said: “I’ve watched Connor a lot in the last two years, I follow Rangers all the time and I like him very much. He’s got a strong mentality, he’s a proper defender, just what I like to see at the club.
“He’s 29 now, though, which is an interesting age. He has played in the Scottish league and Europa League.
“I understand if a player who has proved himself as the No.1 defender for Rangers may be interested in going to find out about a different league.
“I wish him good luck if that is the case but I wish him to stay. He’s played in England before but not so much so it’s no surprise if he’s thinking of trying again.
“The Premier League would be a good step for him. But he’s good for us. And Rangers are good for him.
“He’s in Glasgow, you are a God there if you win the league as he found out last season.
“There’s everything there to enjoy, Old Firm games, European football. Look at the fantastic run the team is on now. It must be a difficult decision to give up that feeling and that’s what you have to think about.”
Sunday’s showdown is the start of a searching spell for Giovanni van Bronckhorst ’s squad on three critical fronts.
The Europa League quarter-final ties against Braga and a league trip to St Mirren follow before it’s another Old Firm clash in the Scottish Cup last four.
Khizanishvili, now assistant of the Georgian national team, says the intense pressure of that schedule is what Rangers players are paid to handle.
He played in the Champions League and Europa League for Alex McLeish and was part of the Helicopter Sunday title-winning squad of 2005.
He said: “If you are at Rangers, it shouldn’t matter playing three games a week. You must always be ready. It can’t be like an excuse to play the game and get a draw.
“That’s the reality of the job whether you’re playing against Celtic, Dundee or in the Champions League. When you sign that contract for Rangers, something different changes in your life. That’s what I felt anyway.
“I follow Rangers all the time. I believe 100 per cent in this team. After Steven Gerrard left, I was a little bit disappointed because he did an unbelievable job and I worried about who was coming next.
“Giovanni has made the Europa League so special, we are in the quarter-finals.
“The players are very comfortable after this big change of coach. After Rangers went down to the Third Division, who thought it was possible to have Rangers back like this?
“We should be enjoying every minute of this. It’s a strong Rangers team again, with a strong mentality once more.
“We have to win this league now. To be around a group that won the league was amazing and 2004/05 was a great time in Rangers’ history. Everything finished on our side.
“But while I want to see these days again and the title race is really exciting, if it can happen that Rangers win before the last game I’d be very happy!”
When Khizanishvili made his debut in August 2003, Allan McGregor was on the bench.
Greegsy was only 21 and still three years away from becoming a first choice. Now he’s 40, a decorated club legend in his second spell and still producing stunning saves on the big stages.
Khizanishvili recalls the young McGregor studiously following every move of Stefan Klos. He reckons that has stood him in great stead for one of the great Rangers careers.
“Stefan was the first-choice goalkeeper then Ronald Waterreus came along,” recalled Khizanishvili.
“So there may have been very difficult times for Allan when he felt he should’ve been playing.
“But I played with Frank de Boer, Henning Berg, Craig Moore, Lorenzo Amoruso and learned.
“So when you have Stefan, such a fantastic and experienced keeper, you learn something every single day from being alongside him.
“That was the great education for him. He’ll remember watching Stefan work so hard and remember everything he saw.
“McGregor is now the experienced goalkeeper with the great career and not just with Rangers.”
