Connor Goldson has revealed how one face-to-face meeting with Steven Gerrard convinced him Rangers was the place to be despite scepticism about playing in Scotland.
The defender moved to Ibrox from Brighton on a free transfer in 2018, went on to be a huge part of the defence that won a league title and enjoyed six years at the club.
He has Gerrard to thank after the Liverpool legend made it clear how much he wanted the centre-back, and to build a team around him.
When he heard the then-Rangers boss wanted to speak to him, Goldson had no intention of leaving the English Premier League to play in Scotland, but wanted the chance to speak to a man he had idolised
One brief phone call and a face-to-face meeting later and he was signing for Rangers.
Speaking on Open Goal, he explained: "I got a text: 'Steven Gerrard here. Can we have a phone call?' So I’m like, 'It can’t be Steven Gerrard.'
"So I sent it to my agent and I was like, 'This can’t be… It's not right, is it?'
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"And he was like, 'Let me have a look.' Then he’s like, 'yeah, it’s right. You’re going to have a phone call but you're not going to Scotland.
"And I was like, 'Yeah, I’m not going, but I’m speaking to Steven Gerrard, my idol. It’s my idol. I’m speaking to Steven Gerrard.'
"So then I had the first chat with him. It went really well. He phoned me that night.
"He was like, 'I want you to come. I want you to be one of the leaders of the group. I want you to play every game and I’m going to build the team, the back line, around you.'
"I’m one of those people that I like to be wanted, do you know what I mean?"
The pair were going to meet half way, but when Gerrard discovered Goldson's wife was heavily pregnant, he said he would drive all the way to Brighton.
He then included her in their chat and both the player and his wife were quickly sold on the move.
"It was. It was him. I think by the time that day was done, it was kind of like, 'Right, let’s get this done'. Before he left the house."
