Connor Goldson has opened up about his unexpected departure from Rangers, revealing that he was forced out of the club against his will.
Boarding a flight to Birmingham with the expectation of playing for his beloved team at St Andrew's on Wednesday, July 24, he had no idea that he had already kicked his last ball for the Ibrox club.
Goldson amassed over 300 appearances for Rangers during a six-year spell and cemented himself as Rangers' most reliable centre-back.
He would've anticipated continuing to wear the famous Light Blue jersey for much longer, however he claims that a shift in the Rangers hierarchy meant that he was made to leave the club during the summer - despite feeling he still had a lot to offer the Glasgow giants.
But he insists it was "new" people behind the scenes rather than manager Philippe Clement that sanctioned the decision, which saw the 31-year-old join Cypriot side Aris Limassol.
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“It was difficult to leave," Goldson told the Sunday Mail as he reflected on his Ibrox departure.
"I still felt I had a lot to give. Listen, I’m happy with this move. It has been great for me and my family and given us a great lifestyle. But do I think I could have contributed to Rangers this season? Of course I could have.
“That’s why I was so disappointed. The club gave me a contract when I was at the best point in my career. But, two years later, they didn’t want to fulfil that contract any more. Did I leave under a cloud? If I’m honest, I had felt that cloud from the end of last season. They told me they wanted me to leave. And I want to make this clear – that wasn’t the manager.
“He was actually really good with me. But there were a lot of new people within the club who didn’t know what I’d given over six years. One said they wanted me to leave. At first I said no, I wasn’t going. But then it was probably my time. Listen, I have to respect the fact that the club didn’t want me any more. So I was happy to leave in the end and I don’t hold any hard feelings.
“I had six amazing years with some brilliant times and some difficult ones. But over the six years I gave my best every time. No one will take that away from me.”
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Despite the disappointing way he exited Rangers, Goldson is still a keen onlooker. And a common issue pointed out by fans and pundits on a regular basis also irks the former Light Blues vice-captain. Failing to build on Scottish Premiership success over three years ago.
Rangers, who also reached the 2022 Europa League final, have instead played second fiddle to rivals Celtic in recent times, and are already nine points behind both the Hoops and Aberdeen after 11 league matches.
“I watch a lot of games and it’s been a tough start," Goldson admitted. "But they need to quickly get going.
"They can’t write off a season in November because a lot can happen and there’s two cup competitions to play, as well as Europe. It’s tough for me to talk about Rangers now because there are still so many people at the club I respect. But the fans aren’t happy with what’s going on and that’s understandable.
“Are Rangers in transition? Yes. But should they be nine points behind after 11 games? No. When they had the chance to build in 2021 they didn’t. And we’re seeing the repercussions. It’s not just finance, it’s everything.
"Rangers have still spent a lot of money over a number of years. So it comes down to recruitment, finding the right players and selling when the time’s right. Unfortunately, they have allowed too many players to leave on free transfers without getting money for their main assets.”
