The weight of expectation that lands on the shoulders of new signings the second they walk in the door at Rangers has buckled some careers before a ball has even been kicked.
Dave McPherson might have been well prepared for it when he made the return trip from Hearts for a second spell at Ibrox 30 years ago this week.
But even his previous experience of spending the first five years of his career in Govan did little to ease the burden that comes with having to deliver silverware. And lots of it.
Thankfully for McPherson, he helped deliver two titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups in the next two years.
So the defender, who between 1982 and 1999 moved from Rangers to Hearts and back again before returning along the M8 to rejoin the Jambos, knows exactly what’s about to hit John Souttar when he arrives at Ibrox this month after six years at Tynecastle.
Now Souttar, who has never experienced the feeling of winning a major trophy, is about to be thrust into an environment where even one success a season isn’t enough to satisfy expectations.
The centre-back’s last game in the maroon of Hearts was the 2-0 extra-time Scottish Cup Final defeat to Rangers, just three days after the Light Blues had gone through 120 minutes and penalties in the heat of Seville as they lost the Europa League Final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
McPherson insists Souttar, who he saw come back from THREE agonising Achilles injuries last season, has got what it takes to be a winner in Glasgow.
The 58-year-old said: “John has done very well. He’s been injured quite a bit, so he’s got a lot to prove, but I’m sure he’ll get regular game time at Rangers and hopefully it will push him on.
“It’s difficult going to Rangers from Hearts – I’ve done it many times, I like that M8!
“It’s very difficult, different standards. You’re going to a club with a bigger support and more expectation on you to win things.
“And not just to win one trophy, but two or three.
“But I’m sure he’ll do well. He’s got a nice temperament. John is very calm on the ball, a good passer, he builds from the back. Did I feel pressure going back? Probably, because Rangers were going for everything.
“People say you should never go back to your former club, but I proved to be successful on both occasions.
“When I went back to Rangers we won the Treble and at Hearts, we won the Scottish Cup.”
Before all that Souttar’s attention is on trying to help Scotland to a first World Cup in 24 years starting with tonight’s play-off semi-final against Ukraine.
McPherson has experienced the greatest show on earth as part of Andy Roxburgh’s Italia 90 side that lost to Costa Rica and beat Sweden only to be knocked out at the group stage by a late Brazil goal.
He said: “It’s been far too long a wait for Scottish supporters.
“It’s something we should be at regularly but I think it’s getting more difficult to qualify for finals of tournaments. Hopefully we can do it.
“That’s where you want to be as player, you want to play against the best teams and the best players in the world.
“In 1990 we played against Sweden and Brazil. That’s where you want to be and then you can judge how good a player or how bad a player you are.”
