Anguished Ally McCoist claims Rangers could have landed Luka Modric for a transfer snip 15 years ago but they couldn't afford to do a deal.
The club hero was sent on a scouting mission to check out Vedran Corluka - who would also go on to join Tottenham with his compatriot in 2018.
McCoist was tasked with profiling the right-back but was left waxing lyrical to Walter Smith about the diminutive playmaker pulling the strings in the middle of the park.
But any deal for Rangers to land one of the greatest midfielders in football history was kiboshed due to the club's budget.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "I went to Zagreb to watch it, big derby game.
"Walter phoned me after the game and said 'what do you think?', I said they've got a wee boy in the middle of the park, he is absolutely outrageous.
"See how much money we have got, I think we could have got him, at that time, for about £3.5m, we didn't have the money."
And sparring partner Alan Brazil was quick as a flash in response.
He joked: "Thank god you didnae."
McCoist responded: "Aw, Al, we didnae have the money, I said how much, about £3.5m, he (Walter) said we couldn't afford it.
"What a football player."
