Every time John Souttar hobbled back on to the treatment table, Lee McCulloch knew the big defender had the beating of it.
Even though any one of those injuries could have ended his career. A succession of ankle and hip problems. Two ruptured Achilles tendons. Multiple close encounters with the surgeon’s scalpel. Souttar came through it all and still managed to turn in performances impressive enough to win a Scotland call-up and a move to Rangers.
McCulloch watched him battle back from the brink so many times during their time together at Hearts. And that’s why the former Tynecastle coach was quick to shower praise on the 26-year-old yesterday after Souttar ended a tumultuous, injury-ravaged first season at Ibrox with a return to Steve Clarke’s national squad. McCulloch said: “I’m absolutely thrilled for the big man because it’s no exaggeration to say he’s not had much luck over the last few years!
"And I know how difficult it has been for him to keep having to come back from major injury issues. The thing about John is that he’s not just a brilliant player with outstanding ability but he’s also a really humble guy and a hard worker.
“I was absolutely buzzing for him when he scored his first Rangers goal in the final Old Firm game of the season. That will have been such a sweet moment for him.
“But now, to cap off the season, he’s got himself back into the international set-up and that’s testament to his resilience. To move to a club like Rangers and then suffer a serious injury in your first game is the kind of bad luck that might crush lesser people. But John is a born leader and a real fighter.”
Now former Gers stalwart McCulloch is convinced Souttar will emerge as a cornerstone of Michael Beale ’s big Ibrox rebuild. Injury permitting. He added: “It was a real sickener when he picked up another bad injury right at the start of the season.
“It wasn’t his first serious injury either but, knowing him like I do, I knew he would throw everything into getting himself back fit. Time and time again he’s battled back from these setbacks and that tells you something about his mental strength.
“At a club like Rangers you need to have that kind of resilience and fortitude if you’re going to succeed. Now he is back looking the player we always knew he was.
“If he can stay fit I honestly believe he’ll become a real rock in Beale’s side next season. For me, he’s the best centre-half at Rangers – in and out of possession – and he also possesses true leadership qualities which are so important to any team.
“Everyone is starting to see now what a huge player he could be for Rangers and Scotland over the next few years.”
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