Eck: We’ll get them in the away leg lads
Rangers Legends...2 World Legends...3
Alex McLei sh joked Rangers would “get them in the away leg” as he shared his joy after an emotional return to Ibrox.
He led a team of Ibrox legends against a Rest of the World select as the club’s 150th anniversary bash brought the stars out in the Glasgow sunshine.
Captained by Luis Figo, the continental icons edged a good- natured contest against some Light Blues favour ites i ncludi ng current manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Goa ls f rom Carlos Marchena, Nuno Gomes and Ricardo Quaresma wowed the huge crowd but it was a header from Shota Arveladze and a cameo goal from Paul Gascoigne that sparked the biggest cheers.
And McLei sh , who managed Rangers between 2001 and 2006, admitted it was “spine tingling” to be back in the dugout.
He told Rangers TV: “I don’t like getting beat, you know that!
“But it was a great cause and fantastic players we were playing against. I thought about parking the bus but I’m sure we’ll get them in the away leg.”
Over 38,000 turned out for the occasion but McLeish insisted those numbers came as no surprise to him.
He said: “The Rangers fans, over the piece, through thick and thi n , they’ve turned up.
“Wh e n e v e r people have said, ‘ That’ll be empty’ or ‘ They won’t be there, they won’t fill the stadium’, they’ll always be there.”
Favou r i t e s from years gone by such as Bar r y Ferguson, Jorgrg Albertz, Ronald de Boer,er, Sasa Papac and a host of others were in town for thehe big occasion.
And McLeish insisted all of them were buzzing.
He also revealed Gazzaza was reduced to tears by the warmth of the reception he received appearing late on.
McLeish said : “The banter was brilliant. I told them, ‘ That’s a pretty tasty team in there, guys, be careful.’ But, as I said, we’ll get them when we go away and beat them then!
“When you come back, everything drifts back in your memory of all the really good times you have had here.
“The boys were buzzing. Gazza, there was a tear in his eye before the game. “And coming on, the reception he got and getting the goal, again he was shedding a tear or two.” There were cheers towards the end of the first hal f when Ar veladze headed in the opening goal for Rangers.
But Figo’s side came back with Marchena levelling things before another Portuguese star, Nuno Gomes, produced a lovely f inish to catch Nei l Alexander out.
Then came Quaresma’s brilliant goal before the moment that raised the roo f , Gazza squeezing home a late strike. It provided a fitting end to a gala day for the fans at Ibrox as they took a t rip down memory lane.