Allan McGregor should wave goodbye to Rangers this summer as veteran shows his age
Allan McGregor should be preparing himself to say goodbye to Rangers once and for all this summer, as Michael Beale looks to begin his rebuild.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper looked all set to retire last season after the Europa League final, even being given a send-off during the Scottish Cup final by manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the final minutes as a substitute.
But after holding talks over the summer with the club he opted to sign on for another 12 months, taking him to the summer of 2023 at Ibrox.
Initially he started the season as the number two behind Jon McLaughlin, but that experiment quickly fell to the wayside when Rangers struggled in games and he’s been the number one again ever since.
But with the Gers nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race and out of the UEFA Champions League and European football entirely, it could be the time to start looking to the future again.
Beale has returned to the club as manager after Van Bronckhorst was sacked during the World Cup break, and has been tasked with bringing glory back to the club as quickly as possible.
He’ll be 41 by the time the contract he signed last summer expires, and the club are already well aware that McLaughlin is not of the calibre to replace McGregor once he does hang up his gloves.
But his own performances so far this season haven’t been the best, and while he has still shown moments of quality, it’s not enough for Rangers to rely on even in the near future.
The summer would be the perfect opportunity for Beale to really stamp his authority on the team, and look to move McGregor on and bring someone else in to take that role.
It would be a big signal to the rest of the squad that nobody is safe, but also it would be a big indicator of how he wants to play in the future too.
Fans surely will realise that the time is right for McGregor to go, despite his status within the club, and the player will know he’s past his best too.
The next six months will be key to identifying who is next for the position, and Beale must make the big call to cut ties with a club legend as one of his first major decisions.
In other Rangers news, club warned that they are risking a major cash windfall as senior ace eyes exit in 2023