‘I don’t say this lightly’ – Ferguson claims current Gers player is ‘best I have played with’
Rangers legend Barry Ferguson has dubbed current Gers stopper Allan McGregor as the “best goalkeeper I have played with”.
McGregor remains the Rangers number one at the age of 38 and has played all seven of their Europa League matches this season.
With Scotland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin backing him up, McGregor has been the first choice option in the league recently too and was a big part of their Old Firm derby win in October.
Ferguson, who played alongside McGregor for Scotland and Rangers, named McGregor ahead of the likes of Joe Hart and Brad Friedel.
“I don’t say this lightly – Greegs is the best goalkeeper I have played with,” he said (via Daily Record).
“And that’s really saying something because I have played with some top, top goalkeepers from Goram and Klos to Foster and Friedel. There’s been plenty of other excellent keepers too but, for me, Allan McGregor has been the standout. He’s consistently pulled off big saves at crucial moments throughout his career.
“Even now at 38, he’s not lost any of it. At times when you can be on top of teams and it might look like he’s doing nothing but then his concentration has to be absolutely spot on and some of the saves he continues to pull off are ridiculous. He’s got serious competition for that number one jersey with Jon McLaughlin which is excellent to see. But Greegs thrives on that, he’s got a real winners’ mentality and is still an absolutely key man for Rangers.”
Rangers’ goalkeepers have not been tested as often as they have in seasons gone by this year, but McGregor remains one of the best stoppers in Scotland.
He retired from international football in 2019 and it appears to have allowed him to extend his career with Rangers, conceding just seven goals in 13 appearances in all competitions this season (via WhoScored).
That fact that he has beaten out McLaughlin, who is part of the current Scotland squad, to the number one jersey is testament to the level his game is still at and the leadership role he plays in the dressing room.
The 38-year-old will overtake Ferguson as the club’s leading appearance maker in European competition against Standard Liege and his boss, Steven Gerrard, also paid tribute to his quality.
“His standards are top and it certainly helps my job when there are people in the dressing room that help relay the message and basically set the standards themselves,” he said (via Daily Record).
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