‘I had to go’ – Former Rangers ace gives reason for ‘disheartening’ Ibrox summer exit
Former Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty has revealed why he left the club this summer.
Docherty left Ibrox for Hull City following three years in Glasgow, during which he struggled to break into the first team, while having two loan spells at Shrewsbury Town and Hibernian.
The Scottish midfielder signed for the Gers from Hamilton Academical in 2018, but struggled to displace any of the other established midfield talents in Steven Gerrard’s squad.
Speaking to the Football Daft podcast, Docherty opened up about his conversations with the Gers boss, and why he felt it was the right time to move on.
Docherty said: “I spoke to him loads of times, he was like, ‘I don’t have an answer for you, you don’t give me any reason to not [pick someone else]’, which is a tough one to take because I’m thinking what can I do?
“You’re hoping an opportunity comes. But the players in front of me were good players and I’m honest enough to know that. They’re seasoned pros, they were good, in their prime, and it’s just unfortunate that was in front of me at the time.
“It just so happened there weren’t many spaces or opportunities opening up. But you get to a point where you think to yourself that you can’t waste any more time. I was thinking I’d just turned 23 and I need to play again and re-evaluate in the summer.
“It’s the move I’d always wanted. It’s disheartening, it doesn’t really sit with me well how it ended up. But I had to go and take control of my career again and that’s how I’m down here and I’m really enjoying my football again.”
Was it the right time for Docherty to leave Ibrox?
Truthfully, yes it was.
After an impressive loan spell with Hibs last season – registering eight goal involvement in eight games – we would have like to have seen him given more of a chance to prove himself for the Gers, but from the player’s point of view you can understand him wanting the guarantee of regular first team football.
As for moving to Hull, it makes perfect sense.
Docherty has good experience of League One, winning Shrewsbury’s Player of the Year award during his spell in England back in 2018/19.
He’s started brightly too, making five competitive appearances for the Tigers and losing none of them.
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