BARRY FERGUSON
IBROX LEGEND WRITESEXCLUSIVELYFORYOU EVERY WEEK doesn’t surprise me because I worked trained like a beast and Allan is the vocal which I love. He can be a bit too with him long enough and know what same. That’s why they are at the top of passionate at times as we’ve seen this kind of keeper he is. their game. season with him getting involved in a
He has actually raised the bar and I also played with Foster at few incidents. gone up a level since he left. Birmingham who was at Old Trafford But I don’t mind that because it
There is no doubt he could have and featured for the Three Lions at the shows someone who is desperate to played with the biggest clubs like World Cup in Brazil four years ago. win. Klos was a bit more reserved but Manchester United and Liverpool. Friedel won more than 80 caps for just a different type of character.
But sometimes you need a bit of luck the USA and we were team-mates at People might think I’m biased in football and maybe that break didn’t Ewood Park before he went on to Aston towards McGregor because he’s my come. Listen, I played with Hart who Villa and Spurs. mate but that’s not the case. won 75 caps for England and the Klos was the No. 1 for a few years at I enjoyed watching him come through Premier League with Manchester City. Rangers and he was a fine goalkeeper. at an early age. A great shot-stopper and vastly And one thing I noticed as a kid experienced but McGregor is better coming through, and when he was a all round. regular in the team, was that his
Greegsy can play with the ball at his mentality in training was second to feet and ping it about and he is also very none and he worked his backside off. If
We were Birmingham team-mates and they are quite similar in that they had that daft streak and are loud in the dressing room.
Joe was a great shot-stopper and
I know McGregor had some injury problems with his back at Hull. But he returned to the team and was excellent towards the end of last season because I watched a few games and he was the Allan McGregor of old.
But for Rangers to get him on a free must go down as one of the best bits of business for the club in a long time – a masterstroke.
I caught up with Allan for a coffee this week because Craig Moore was back in the country and we met up along with our old team-mates Bob Malcolm and Charlie Miller.
He looked as fit as ever, he was bright and bubbly and he’s loving being back at Ibrox which is the main thing.
I asked him how it feels and he said “You know, it’s MY club” and I love hearing that.
He’s still got that wee daft streak and that’s what makes him. But once you cross that white line whether it’s in training or a game he goes into a different zone, a different planet, in terms of his focus and desire.
I see all the things now that I could see when he was a young boy breaking through and made me sense he had a real chance to go to the top.
He did things the hard way by going on loan to St Johnstone and Dunfermline – a lot of kids are happy to stay and say they’re at Rangers – and I loved that about him because he knew he had to go out and get game time.
It’s hard for young keepers to get into the team but he went out and got the experience he needed and that’s carried him through to where he is today.