Stevens hails canny King for his right calls in rebuild of Rangers
GARY STEVENS’ mind flashed back to a Dave King speech of seven years ago after watching Rangers storm into the Europa League final.
An RB Leipzig squad that cost £200million to assemble conceded three Ibrox goals scored by players worth a combined quarter of a million.
James Tavernier (£200,000), Glen Kamara (£50,000) and John Lundstram (free) bundled out another of Bundesliga’s best.
For Stevens, now a physiotherapist in western Australia, that confirmed former chairman King (pictured) was both shrewd and true to his word.
The ex-Rangers right-back, who won six titles under Graeme Souness and Walter Smith, recalls hearing King talk to fans Down Under after sweeping to boardroom power.
He vowed to invest heavily in a recruitment department ravaged by ruinous regimes. That, says Stevens, appears money well spent.
Rangers went big on Ryan
Kent at £7m and Kemar Roofe for £4.5m yet many more Sevillebound stars were secured for a snip.
Lundstram, Leon Balogun, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Steven Davis and Fashion Sakala were free. Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey commanded minimal compensation fees.
Stevens said: ‘When I was involved with the Oceania Rangers Supporters’ Association, Dave King came over and spoke.
‘I remember him standing up on stage saying that the money was going on the scouting system.
‘Because if we don’t get that right, he said, we’ve no chance.
‘Too much money can be too easy to spend anyway, as my other club Everton found.
‘They’ve spent fortunes and they’re in relegation trouble. So what Rangers have done is phenomenal. It looks like they’ve got something right with the recruitment. It would be sad to see the loss of any of these players after this great run but there’s so much money knocking around.
‘James Tavernier is going to be on the radar of a few clubs. Champions League football might keep them at Rangers. So there’s a lot to play for against Frankfurt.’
Stevens hopes travel exertions don’t impact negatively on Rangers’ bid for a cup double.
He was in Howard Kendall’s Everton team that won the 1985 English top flight, then European Cup Winners’ Cup.
But within three days of beating Rapid Vienna 3-1 in Rotterdam, a magical May treble was denied by Manchester United at Wembley.
Stevens said: ‘Winning became a habit at Everton and Rangers — and I see this team believes in themselves.
‘If you’re playing week in, week out at this stage of the season then you’ve had a good one. You wish to be this busy.
‘It’s unfair, then, to turn round and say: “Oh well, we ran out of steam”. At Everton, we won the league, went to Rotterdam to play a European final, flew back to the UK on Thursday, travelled straight to London on Friday.
‘We lost the FA Cup in extra-time. Everyone talked of how tired we were. It might’ve been a step too far.
‘But the thing I kept thinking was the travelling — rather than the game. That’s what tires you out.
‘Players love big games and Rangers have another against Hearts next Saturday. Fortunately, they’re only going to Hampden.’
GARY STEVENS and wife Louise are setting up a charity to help bereaved families who have lost children to cancer. Their son Jack was four when he passed away last November. Anyone interested in helping with donations of football memorabilia, please contact forever4JackStevens@outlook.com