Mccloy hails Alexander the great at ibrox
Over Champions League hoopla as city rivals savour big games Legend overjoyed that long-serving Neil will get reward for Blues loyalty
RANGERS goalkeeping legend Peter McCloy is delighted Neil Alexander has finally been elevated to No.1 status at Ibrox. The 34-year-old joined Gers back in 2008 but had to play second fiddle between the sticks to Allan McGregor until the latter’s summer departure to Turkey.
The 1972 Cup-Winners’ Cup star McCloy knows all about warming the bench in the battle for the gloves.
Between 1975 and 1978 the Gers great was engaged in a battle for supremacy in goal with Stewart Kennedy before finally reclaiming top-dog status in a career with the Light Blues that spanned 1970-1986 and some 535 appearances.
Alexander has already made crucial saves for Gers in their first-ever campaign in the Third Division, like the brilliant tip-over that denied Berwick substitute Fraser McLaren a winner at Shielfield Park last week.
Towering McCloy, who is still known as the Girvan Lighthouse by the Ibrox hordes, has no doubt that Alexander still has his best years ahead of him.
“I am delighted for Neil Alexander that he is finally getting his chance to enjoy his status as the established No.1 with Rangers,” he said, “Neil has been incredibly loyal to the club and I am not talkingtalkin about since the new Rangers ememerged after all of the financial trotroubles.
“If you look back at tthhe time before that when Allan McMcGregor was still at the club thethen every time Neil came in he nenever let Rangers down but at the sasame time every occasion that happenedha he knew that when Allan was fit he would be bback on the bench. “That must have beenbe particularticularly tough after McGregg o r w a s dropped fofollowing his problelems with ththe Scotll a n d ssqquuad but when Neil had to make way again he did so without a murmur. For me that is the mark of a true professional.”
McCloy continued: “Now he has once again shown what a loyal Rangers man he is by staying on with the club even although he knows that the best years of his career will be played out in the lower leagues over the next few seasons.
“That tells you a lot about the man and what makes him tick. He deserves his chance more than anyone else at the club and you can bet he won’t let Rangers down.”
McCloy won everything there was to win with Gers in a major honour haul of 11 that was capped by the Cup-Winners’ Cup triumph in Barcelona in 1972.
He was one of only five players who featured in every match of that legendary campaign, alongside Sandy Jardine, Willie Mathieson, Alex MacDonald and Colin Stein.
AFTER he retired, McCloy enjoyed a spell as goalkeeping coach under Graeme Souness at Ibrox where he worked with the likes of Andy Goram.
As he analysed the strengths of Alexander’s game, he admitted Gers are lucky to have kept hold of the shotstopper after their descent to the basement.
He said: “Neil does all the basics of the game very well and that is the strength of his game. He is very safe under a cross ball and a fine shot-stopper as we saw at Berwick last week.
“I think his positional sense is excellent and he is also a very good communicator which is very important with regard to his relationship with the defence in front of him.
“You look at all the new boys that Ally McCoist has had to bring in and that will mean that Neil’s presence is even more important to Rangers at the back in terms of organising them.
“It is also going to mean that because there has been such a big turnaround in the back line that there will be a spell of adjustment and bedding in until the likes of Cribari and the other new lads get used to their new team-mates.
“I would say that the fact Neil is still with Rangers is hugely important to the club over the season ahead.
“He is the safe pair of hands we need at a difficult and challenging time.”