FINAL HURRAH
Goldson set to quit Ibrox after Hampden clash
GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST admits he is now braced for Connor Goldson’s departure from Rangers this summer — with the future of Allan McGregor also up in the air.
The English defender’s four-year deal expires after today’s Scottish Cup final against Hearts, with the 29-year-old so far refusing to put pen to paper on an extension. A key signing under Steven Gerrard in 2018, Goldson is believed to be on the radar of West Brom and Nottingham Forest.
Van Bronckhorst hasn’t yet given up hope that he might have a late change of heart but concedes the chances of being able to name the defender in his side next season are ‘very small’.
With Jon McLaughlin poised to play in goal at Hampden today, it’s also possible that McGregor
has played his last game for Rangers. ‘With Allan, we agreed — also with (sporting director) Ross Wilson — to speak after the season,’ said the Ibrox manager. ‘Regarding Connor, the club has been in talks with him to extend his contract. ‘So far he hasn’t extended it. The chance he will still be a Rangers player (after) tomorrow will be small but, as I’ve said, I would love to have Connor in the team next year. ‘As you see quite a lot, when players are getting out of contract, there are two possibilities — to keep playing for Rangers or to move on and maybe have another challenge. ‘I still have in my mind that he will be part of Rangers next year. That’s my feeling more than the reality. We will have to watch in the coming weeks. ‘But I think Connor has been amazing for this team in all of his years as a Rangers player. ‘If it will be his last game on Saturday, I don’t know right now.’ McLaughlin has played in
each of Rangers’ previous rounds and will be given the opportunity to do so again against his former club. Although that might mean McGregor’s Rangers’ career is over, Van Bronckhorst feels it would be unfair on his No 2 to renege on an agreement. ‘I’ve started Jon in the cup campaign this year and I think he’s done really well in all of the games that we’ve played — especially in the semi-final against Celtic,’ he added. ‘For me, it would be strange to change him as we’ve given him the confidence in the cup competition. He will still have the confidence tomorrow from me and my staff. ‘It’s a difficult one because Allan, of course, is our No 1 goalkeeper but he was very thoughtful and could totally understand if we were playing Jon in the cup competitions. ‘Allan will push Jon and will guide him and support him tomorrow.’ Borna Barisic will miss out through injury today after coming off in extra-time as Rangers lost the Europa League final to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Rangers are continuing to liaise with UEFA, the Spanish FA and Football Supporters Europe following numerous disturbing reports of the way their supporters were treated inside the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Wednesday. Despite not being on the list of prohibited items to take into the ground, social media has been awash with stories of medicine, skin creams and women’s make-up being confiscated by local police. Battery packs for mobile phones were also taken — despite fans needing them to show their e-ticket for the final in Seville. With the heat well above 30 degrees throughout the match, fans were stopped from taking water bottles into the ground — with the majority of kiosks either closed or understocked. It’s understood that fans resorted to drinking tap water in the stadium’s toilets only for that to eventually run dry. Rangers are asking all fans to report their experiences to Football Supporters Europe, the body which monitors all such occasions.