Rangers players approaching the end of their respective contracts were told at the beginning of 2020/21 that the sole focus was on winning title number 55, any extensions would have to wait until the objective had been achieved.
With title number 55 securely in the bag, we have seen the first steps to tying down key performers of Steven Gerrard’s successful squad with Steven Davis putting pen to paper on another 12 months at Ibrox.
Up next must surely be Allan McGregor – capped 42 times by Scotland – who has reportedly already agreed to stay on with former Premier League and England keeper, Paul Robinson, being amazed at the standard’s being kept by the former Scotland number 1, as reported by Football Insider:
“It is incredibly difficult to play on as long as he has.
“As a goalkeeper, your body is put through a lot physically. It takes a lot of impact from the times you go to ground and that is every day in training as well as in matches. It gets harder as you get older.
“I managed to keep playing until I was 37 and it was really tough. Little niggles turn into bigger injuries so I cannot put into words how amazing an achievement it is to still be playing at the age of nearly 40.
“He is playing the best football of his career as well. He had some indifferent days down at Hull and I think he lost his way at times.
“Where he is now and what he has achieved is a credit to himself and his profession. He is playing the best football of his career at 40.”
When your back up keeper has 10 clean sheets in 11 games, you know that you have had a good season if you are keeping him out of the team, Jon McLaughlin has done little – if anything – wrong and yet has found himself stuck to the bench watching McGregor pull out all the stops when it is needed most.
He may be turning 40-years old next season but there doesn’t appear to be any drop off in the level that he is performing at – “if you are good enough you are old enough” has just taken on a whole new meaning with this Gers legend proving that if you are good enough, if doesn’t matter how old you are!