By Ray Livingstone

18th Aug, 2020 | 4:56pm

Ibrox View: Why these Rangers fans cannot blame McCrorie for picking Aberdeen

Ross McCrorie has posted an emotional farewell to Rangers on Twitter after agreeing a deal to join Aberdeen on a loan-to-buy basis.

On Monday, the Dons confirmed on their official Twitter account that McCrorie, 22, had joined them on a season-long loan before a three-year permanent deal becomes active next June.

McCrorie took to his own personal Twitter account to say he will be “forever grateful” to Rangers and said that it is time for him to “further his career” by moving on from the Glasgow giants.

However, Aberdeen are one of Rangers’ biggest rivals in the Scottish Premiership and news of McCrorie’s decision to quit Ibrox and head for Pittodrie has caused quite the stir on Twitter.

Here is a selection of tweets by Rangers fans in reaction to McCrorie’s move to Aberdeen:

https://twitter.com/christtocs/status/1295493234895007746

Obviously, there are a range of reactions when a player swaps one club to join a rival club and we can understand why some Rangers fans are disappointed with McCrorie’s exit.

However, for the sake of his career, joining the Dons is definitely the best move for the Scotland Under-21 international.

McCrorie is one of the most highly-rated talents to emerge from Rangers’ academy in recent years.

Pedro Caixinha once tipped McCrorie “to be one of the best centre-halves” Rangers and Scotland have ever seen [Daily Record].

Steven Gerrard said of McCrorie in 2018 that “the club have a gem if he is coached and given the right guidance” [Belfast Telegraph].

However, McCrorie – who turned 22 in March – still spent last season on loan at English League One club Portsmouth, where he started just 12 league games.

If you’re being sent out on loan as a young, up-and-coming player, you expect to be playing every week so that your development is not harmed – especially when you’re being tipped to have such a bright future.

It remains to be seen if McCrorie’s development stalled or slowed down at Fratton Park as he hadn’t played for the Light Blues this season. But, still, it was less than ideal for him to get such a poor amount of game-time in England.

Aberdeen is a new opportunity for McCrorie to make a name for himself in top-tier football rather than the third-tier south of the border, where Gerrard sent him out on loan rather than finding a space for him in his own senior squad.

McCrorie has every right to feel down heartened by not being in Gerrard’s plans while at Aberdeen, Michael Devlin’s hamstring injury means McCrorie could get a chance to hit the ground running in Derek McInnes’ side when the Dons play St Johnstone on Thursday.

McCrorie found chances hard to come by at Ibrox and with him set to turn 23 later this season, there is no way he can sit around and wait for injuries and suspensions for him to finally be in Gerrard’s plans.

We wish him all the best at Aberdeen.

In other Rangers news, Alex Bruce believes this Ger can shine at Hull City next season.