EUROPA RUN GAVE GREEGS HIS HUNGER
ALLAN McGREGOR made sure to savour every second of Rangers’ Seville surge – and he admits it was that Europa League thrill ride which convinced him to sign on for another season.
The 40-year-old veteran keeper will put his weary limbs through 12 more months of action after casting off retirement for another year.
He’ll face a fight for game time though, with the expectation that Ibrox gaffer Gio van Bronckhorst will increasingly look to Jon McLaughlin to fill the slot between the sticks in the campaign ahead.
McGregor is up for the fight, however, as he insisted he’s desperate to tuck into the big games while he still can.
He said: “I don’t think you ever lose the hunger to play to be honest.
“Even the competitiveness when you’re older, when you’re 50-odd, I don’t think you’ll ever lose it. You can’t lose it when you’re a player at a club that needs to win every time.
“After the first few days after the season finished, I wasn’t really thinking about anything.
“Then I went on holiday, spoke to a few folk and did reflect [on things]. I felt I did take more in when we won games last season.
“Looking back, it was great, with some top nights and great atmospheres. As a player, you always want to play in games like that.”
McGregor joins Steven Davis, Connor Goldson and Scott Arfield in penning new deals.
That foursome have a combined age of 139 but the former Scotland No.1 reckons that adds up to an invaluable reserve of experience that can only benefit van Bronckhorst as he transitions to a younger generation.
Asked about the new deals handed out to his team-mates, McGregor laughed and said: “The old guys you mean? It’s great that the three of them signed again.
“A lot of us spoke about it together last year.
“It’s great that everyone has signed again.
“At most clubs there is a good core of people, experienced guys who try to help new players and young guys anyway we can. So I think there’s a good group here.
“Do I feel a responsibility to pass on my experience? I think when the time is needed, yes.”