If every there was an example of the right player at the wrong club, at the wrong time it was Fabio Cardoso.
He arrived at Ibrox along with several Portuguese and Mexican “stars” when Pedro Caixinha swept into Ibrox with a growing reputation and a future as a potential international.
The plan on paper seemed sound enough, pair him up with an experienced mentor to help develop him and we should be onto a winner, right?
Positive early signs of a Cardoso and Bruno Alves partnership being one that could see a resurgence of Rangers were short lived, the latter’s injury problems meant that they were never able to play a consistent run of games together, the tactics of the manager and questionable signing policy saw us miles away from where we needed to be.
Individually, the then 23-year old looked like he could become a decent player given time but did struggle against the “physicality” of some of the tactics adopted by Scottish Premiership strikers, that he was never the same after having his nose broken and burst open against Motherwell in the league cup semi-final says it all.
Just a year in Scotland and he was released to sign for Santa Clara in his homeland where he has steadily rebuilt his career and reputation, earning the captain’s armband in the process.
That he is now heading to one of European football’s biggest sides in Porto proves that he is a good player – when he isn’t getting elbowed in the face every other week.