Antonio Colak has been urged to grab the chance of a move to Rangers by the trailblazer for the Croat's feat of scoring a winning Champions League goal for Malmo at Ibrox.
Swede Daniel Larsson believes it doesn't get any bigger for the 28-year-old than a switch to the Light Blues and be part of Gio van Bronckhorst's summer recruitment drive. The much-travelled former winger first laid eyes on the Gers target as an opposition player with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece while Colak struggled to make an impact at PAOK.
Larsson was on target in a 1-0 win in Glasgow back in 2011 as Malmo dumped an Ally McCoist-led Rangers out of the Champions League at the qualifying stage and watched last season as Colak hit a double as history repeated itself. But the 35-year-old former Sweden international is adamant it makes perfect sense for the striker to be on the radar of Europe's top clubs and included Rangers on that list.
He said: "It would be a huge move for Antonio to sign for Rangers, considering his age and the career he's had, this would be a big step to a massive club. If I was him and the chance was there then I'd be very happy if a club like Rangers showed an interest.
"You can't really go that much higher than a club which showed their size last season by reaching the Europa League final.
"I watched many of the games Rangers had on that road to the final and it showed they are back as a big power in Europe and with that comes a big attraction for any player to play for them.
"It should be a big compliment for any player to get that interest as it's a big step and a huge compliment.
"He's managed to get himself into the Croatian national side and has worked so hard to progress, there are also no issues with him as a person so it's the perfect match as far as I'm concerned. He also has scope to develop so I'd imagine the possibility of this move would appeal to him as another move up in his career."
Colak scored 19 times in 40 appearances last season during spells with both Malmo and PAOK and reports suggest Rangers have already tabled one offer for the hitman who Larsson is convinced has all the ingredients to become an Ibrox hero.
He said: "Antonio was very successful at Malmo and maybe didn't hit the same heights in Greece which was a surprise to me.
"He found it all a bit of a struggle at PAOK and scoring goals became a problem which again was a puzzle as I know what he's capable of and he's scored goals throughout his career at a variety of clubs.
"Make no mistake, he has a lot of qualities and has plenty of goals inside of him, that is for sure. Confidence is a big thing for any player and his record at PAOK hasn't been productive with regard to goals scored but he has plenty of weapons in his skill set.
"You rarely see a harder worker, he is also very strong inside the box. He's also a clever link-up player and good at getting into the right positions to receive the ball.
"It's been an unusual career path for him, he was capped by Croatia at under-21 level and then had to wait until he was into his mid-20s before getting recognition by the national team so that may tell you that he's been a late developer.
"He's growing as a player and he would be a huge success at Rangers, I have no doubt about that."
Larsson also delivered a glowing report on Colak's ability to fit into a new dressing room and admits van Bronckhorst doesn't need to look far for a character reference for his German transfer target.
He said: "I only started to get to know Antonio as a player when he came to Greece to continue his career at PAOK and I was with Aris. As clubs we were huge rivals but I could see he had ability even if he struggled to get himself into the team on a regular basis.
"That led to Malmo taking him to Sweden on loan and from that moment he was a huge success.
"They wanted to make that arrangement a permanent one but the financials didn't add up at that time.
"What everyone at Malmo will tell you is that he was a very popular figure inside the Malmo dressing room.
"I speak to players who were team-mates at that time and they talk of him being a great character around the club and you could see how well liked he was."
That European night at Ibrox back in 2011 is a career highlight for Larsson who insists finding the back of the net in Glasgow was a feeling which will live with him forever.
He said: "I remember my goal against Rangers at Ibrox well and it's something I will never forget. It was an amazing experience, especially the way the game went. Every player who plays in Glasgow on a European night will have a memory which will last a lifetime and that's what I have from Rangers."
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