THE salute of celebration will become one of farewell for Scott Arfield. Like so many moments in his Rangers career, it will all come down to the timing.
When Arfield scored his ninth goal of the campaign in the win over St Mirren on Saturday, the immediate thoughts would have been the same on the park, in the dugout and in the stands. It was - from the build-up to the finish - a typical Scotty Arfield goal.
Rangers had knocked the ball forward and back, left and right, around Ibrox for 59 passes. Two runs and one more pass split open St Mirren and added a shine to the scoreline that Michael Beale may have feared would not arrive when his side headed into the closing stages level.
Todd Cantwell injected energy into the move with a drive forward. At that moment, Arfield knew where he wanted to be and he pointed to the space that the ball had to be played into as he set off on a run that has become one of the hallmarks of his game.
At 34, the legs may not allow Arfield to get into those positions as quickly as he once did. He is proof that the first yards are in the head, though, and by the time the St Mirren defence realised what was unfolding, it was already too late.
The ball was poked through the legs of Trevor Carson without a steadying touch being required. It was a phase of play that was symptomatic of Arfield and one that has been witnessed so often during an Ibrox career that sees him stand out as one of the most consistent performers of his Rangers generation.
The trademark salute naturally followed and the praise that arrived in the Press Room half an hour or so later was well-earned. Arfield had not been the star of the show against the Saints, but his 13-minute cameo was a reminder of the intelligence of his game and the impact that he can still have on matches at this level.
"It's really good," Beale said as he was asked about Cantwell and praised him before taking a detour in his answer to acknowledge Arfield's contribution. "To see him getting the box and scoring and obviously the assist at the end of the long move.
"It seemed like we had the ball forever, but he drives through the gap and slides Scott in.
"I’m delighted for Scotty, that's the showcase reel of Scott’s whole career isn't it? Running off the back of people and scoring. It was a great finish."
It was a goal that Arfield has scored countless times throughout his career. Few of those he has played with at Ibrox have possessed that nous of being able to time those movements as effectively and finish with such composure on a regular basis.
His strike at the weekend saw Arfield match his second-best tally for a campaign at Rangers and eclipse the respective totals of six and seven over the last two campaigns. His first term, which also saw him provide seven assists, yielded 12 goals as he established himself as an integral part of Steven Gerrard's side.
Arfield has long been a man for the big occasion, be it Old Firm fixtures, crucial Premiership games or high-stakes encounters in Europe. His best days are behind him, but the questions now relate to those that he has in front of him.
The final six Premiership fixtures this season, a sequence that starts at Pittodrie on Sunday afternoon, could well be the last ones that Arfield plays for Rangers. The Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic - a match he scored in 12 months ago at Hampden - will determine if the midfielder has the chance to end the season with silverware once again.
If that run of games proves to be Arfield's farewell tour, there would be no more fitting a way for him to bow out at Ibrox. He has given his all for the club, represented it and himself in the right manner and been a personable, respected figure throughout his time in blue.
As much as many would be sad to see Arfield move on, sentimentality cannot come into Beale's thinking when he is handing out contracts and the situation in that regard is the same with the likes of Ryan Jack and Steven Davis as the Englishman seeks to rejuvenate a squad that is in need of a reboot.
A case can be made for Arfield to be given a deal. His influence in and around the squad is invaluable, his leadership - both in his words and his actions - and his persona set him apart from so many within the Ibrox dressing room.
Moments like Saturday show what he can still bring to the side. He has started less than one in four Premiership matches and only played a third of the minutes in the league but a role as an impact player, a game-changer and potential match winner, off the bench is a berth well filled.
Rangers turn it around! Scott Arfield connects with Ryan Kent's cut back to drive it home 💥#UEL pic.twitter.com/wwKiPG21d5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 3, 2020
If it is not Arfield that does that job, then someone else must. Rangers need a younger model of one of the elder statesmen, a midfielder who can do what Arfield has made a career out of doing.
The former Canadian internationalist no longer stakes a claim for a start in Old Firm or European fixtures, despite his goal against Liverpool earlier this term. His other efforts have come against less glamorous opposition but in matches that have to be won nonetheless.
That is certainly the case for the two goals that were netted at Pittodrie on that barnstorming December evening. That was Arfield standing up to be counted, delivering when it was needed, and Beale will require more players with that ability and mentality if he is going to turn Rangers from hopeful challengers into potential champions next season.
If Beale opts to let Arfield leave at the end of his deal, he must replace him in both style and substance and a player that can make those runs and contribute those goals will be invaluable for Rangers next term. With Cantwell tied down and a move for Malik Tillman a priority, it looks like Beale can already bank on goals and assists from the middle of the park.
Nicolas Raskin has quickly made an impression in that area of the park. Glen Kamara should be sold in the summer and it remains to be seen what Beale has planned for John Lundstram and more attacking options such as Ianis Hagi, Alex Lowry and Tom Lawrence, once he is finally fit for action once again.
The scarcity of Arfield's appearances in recent weeks seems to tell his own story. He wasn't in the squad for three matches in succession, remained on the bench against St Johnstone and Celtic and has not played for more than the 19 minutes of Premiership action he earned at Fir Park. If that pattern is indicative, then Arfield's Rangers career is coming to an end and his time will soon be up.
He will one day salute the Ibrox crowd for the final time. Whenever that moment comes, the appreciation and the well-wishes will certainly be reciprocated.
