MICHAEL BEALE arrived at Ibrox searching for silverware. Rangers had to strike gold to turn the dream into a reality.
The summer of 2018 was the foundation for the future as Steven Gerrard set about overhauling a squad and revolutionising a club in an attempt to take Rangers back to where they belonged.
Four years on, one of the cornerstones of that rebuilding job is still in place. Earlier this month, he committed his future to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and promised the best years of his career to a club that has scaled new heights thanks to his influence on and off the park.
Few players have been as integral to Rangers in recent times as Connor Goldson. That is why the fear over his possible departure was as strong, why the news of his new deal was greeted as warmly.
When the Englishman made the move from Brighton and Hove Albion, there were many within the support who would have been unaware of his story and many who would have needed convincing that he was worth a £3million outlay. At the very outset, Beale was one of them.
It didn't take long for one of Gerrard's trusted lieutenants to be sold on the Goldson move, though. Four years have delivered a Premiership title and Scottish Cup and countless European memories - topped, of course, by the run to Seville - as Goldson has become an Ibrox stalwart.
The coming weeks may well see the squad that Gerrard built start to be broken up. As has been the case throughout, Goldson will be a permanent feature once again next term.
"Ever since I started coaching at Chelsea in 2002, I’ve been heavily involved in recruitment," Beale said. "I was involved in recruitment at Liverpool and at Aston Villa and Rangers recently, because you have to recruit to the style.
"When we were going to look at Glen Kamara not playing at Dundee and you sign him believing he can be a big player, there’s a bit of a sell there. A lot of trust has to be involved but you are bringing Glen for a specific role in the team.
"When we recruited Connor it was via a conversation I had with a friend of mine who was playing with Connor at the time.
"I wasn’t aware of him so much before. But I recommended him to Steven, we sat and thought about it and Steven went down to meet him.
"Connor has been fantastic. You’ve got to remember we recruited a player who wasn’t playing, who’d had a heart problem the year before and who has gone on to play literally 98 per cent of the games for Rangers afterwards.
"So when you’re going through that medical and the recruitment process, there will always be questions from the outside – from media and fans about why this guy hasn’t been playing football.
"But you have to trust your instincts and more often than not we got it right for the outlays we made."
Had Goldson made a different decision and opted to return south of the border this summer, it would have put a very different slant on Rangers' preparations for the new season and been a significant blow for boss Van Bronckhorst.
It could prove to be a sliding doors moment at Ibrox. Rangers have already benefited from one chance conversation and recommendation when it comes to Goldson.
"It was Liam Rosenior," Beale said when asked who it was that first alerted him to Goldson's availability and qualities. "We were on a course together.
"Liam asked if I’d seen this player at Brighton, he’s really good.
"I said I roughly knew him but not well enough to jump off a cliff right now. I went away and we spoke about it in-house and we all liked what we saw.
"I believe Steven had done a game for TV in which Connor had played, so there were a lot of little things that came back.
"We were delighted he came up and he’s done ever so well since. So Liam Rosenior was a scout then for Rangers. He’ll probably kill me for telling you that now!"
Beale will have to put his sixth sense and eye for a player to good use in the coming weeks as he seeks to build a squad in his own name and image after starting work as Head Coach of Queens Park Rangers.
The move to Loftus Road sees Beale go out on his own for the first time and he has spoken about how his experiences at Ibrox have shaped him as a man and a manager ahead of the new campaign.
He will always keep one eye out for the other Rangers in his life. And he is only too aware of how important Goldson will be once again as Van Bronckhorst bids for domestic and European glory this term.
"You can see how much Calvin Bassey has come to fruition, Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent," Beale said. "There was an outlay for Ryan after the loan period.
"But he came off the bench at Bristol City where he hadn’t been playing. So how was he going to come and be a main player at Rangers?
"I think you need to have to a clean eye for how you want to play. I’ll need to use all of that now in the role at QPR because it’s similar in terms of maybe not having the finances to go and outlay, so you have cherry-pick and you have to know how you’re going to play and bring players in that complement it.
"You’re not going to get everyone right. But in terms of Connor Goldson, we struck gold there.
"I’m absolutely delighted that he’s signed another four years. I think it was essential for Gio and Rangers moving forward.
"But I also thought it was important that Connor re-signed as well because I think that he’s had a great time.
"He’s rode the waves of Glasgow – the good and the bad, the up and down, the criticism and then the euphoria of doing well.
"He’s come out of it all as a real leader. I’m delighted for him and his family that they will be staying in Glasgow."
