Why Jim McAllister return matters so much as Rangers right previous wrong

Jim McAllister's likely return to Ibrox offers another example of Rangers finally pulling in one direction.

McAllister has held positive talks over a Rangers return, three years on from his controversial exit.

The former midfielder retired from playing in 2021 and joined Rangers as kitman.

He was a respected figure behind the scenes as he worked closely with Jimmy Bell, who sadly passed away in 2022.

McAllister then took over that department at Ibrox before being sacked and taking the Glasgow club to court for wrongful dismissal.

Rangers lost the case and were made to pay McAllister £13,000, but thankfully enough water has now passed under the bridge.

Rangers feel-good factor kept alive by Jim McAllister news

Rangers have already move to appoint Derek McInnes this summer; a man who is known to have supported the club growing up.

The same is true of Lawrence Shankland, who has also arrived from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.

Ross McCrorie, meanwhile, is back at Rangers five years on from his Ibrox exit.

The 28-year-old came through the Auchenhowie ranks and, while he did not make the grade first time around, he is now back where he belongs.

McAllister looks set to be the latest figure - albeit a non-playing one - to be lured back to Ibrox.

Why exactly does this matter? For too long now there has felt like a disconnect between those at the club and the fanbase.

It sounds like a cliché, but the truth is too many of them just did not get Rangers and what it means to represent the club.

That's now changed, with more and more people involved who are already well connected to the Gers.

What did McAllister say after winning Rangers court case?

After leaving Rangers, McAllister linked back up with Steven Gerrard at Saudi club Al-Ettifaq.

He returned to Scotland to become the national team's kitman in April and held that position during the World Cup.

He has now gone full circle by returning to Ibrox, but what happened in the past cannot be entirely forgotten.

Speaking in February 2024, McAllister said of the whole affair: "I wanted to put on record my thanks to everyone who has supported me since the Employment Tribunal in Glasgow adjudicated that I was unfairly dismissed by Rangers.

"As you can imagine, being wrongly accused is a personal trauma, but also a trauma for my immediate family and friends, all of whom, of course, knew there was no factual basis for the allegations."

Plenty has changed at Rangers since then, not least the change of ownership, and it's great that McAllister is now seemingly back on board.