When Scott Wright was caught by TV cameras at Glasgow Airport ahead of a proposed move to Turkish side Pendikspor, it looked like his future was destined to be in Istanbul rather than Govan. Everyone could see the attraction for the talented winger who had never quite pinned down a place as a regular Ibrox starter. Inside the transfer's inner workings though, things weren't so straightforward. Wright, who has a close relationship with Michael Beale, was never truly sold on leaving behind what he has at Ibrox.
He explained: “Obviously there was a little uncertainty with me over the summer, which was made public but that is football, the highs and lows. There was a chance of me leaving, obviously, I have stayed and I have had some good conversations with the manager. Pre and post the chance of me leaving. I am glad my future is settled just now and I am delighted to still be here at Rangers and to have the chance to fight for a spot.
"I didn’t actually ever think I was certain to leave. I have a really good relationship with the manager here and we spoke before I went out to Turkey. It was one of those where no decision had been made and I was able to go out and see it. For a few reasons, it never came to be. That is football and my head is focused on being a Rangers player and helping this team as much as I can."
Wright is, for the moment at least, very much back in the fold. A combination of injuries, shape changes and lack of form from others has given the player a golden opportunity to re-establish his worth. He started against Motherwell, playing both wide and eventually as a central midfielder before coming on as a substitute in the comfortable 4-0 win over Livingston where his clever dummy set up Ryan Jack to score. Was Wright concerned it was a chance that might never come after opting to remain in Scotland?
“It was never a worry. I had had some great conversations with the manager and he was still really open to me staying here and not forcing me into anything. I am very thankful for him letting me just go out and see what I needed to see."
Rangers face Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday, a game where Wright's pace on the break will likely be of use to Beale. The 26-year-old was part of an Aberdeen team that crashed to a 2-0 defeat there against city rivals Apollon in 2017 so he's well aware of the threat posed amid what weather forecasts predict will be intense heat.
He said: “I know it is going to be a really tough game. All games at this level are tough. All we can do is take it game by game and focus on us at the minute and go out and give the best version of ourselves. Every game at this level is going to be tough. There are so many things you have to take into consideration: the conditions and the pitch.
“I remember it being roasting hot in Limassol. It was a really hard game. We pushed as hard as we could but it wasn’t meant to be that night. You can see the weather starting to turn here already. It will be good to get a bit of sun out there but that presents a different challenge and that is one for us to face as a team."
The Europa League is a tournament that holds no fears for Rangers. They have already vanquished Betis in the group's opening game and residual confidence from the Seville run remains imbued in the squad. Wright smiles as he recalls his part in coming so close to immortality and starting games at the business end of the tournament.
“It was incredible, honestly. We still have discussions about it now in the changing room and when you speak to people about it now, it almost doesn’t feel real. The bond we had with the fans going into any game at Ibrox was incredible. I don’t think we will realise how big it was until we all stop playing.
“It is fantastic to look back on but now we are back in this competition again and we want to try and kick on and keep going. You want to be able to look back and say I have done certain things. It is something I am proud of, absolutely immensely proud of. It was just a shame we lost it on that night.
“During that time we had the idea of setting up Ibrox and we were fortunate in that often the second leg fell that way. If we could do okay away then coming back to Ibrox we always had a chance. If you take the Leipzig game as an example, we knew 1-0 away from home in the first leg was not a bad result. We fully backed ourselves to get something and as I said, the bond with the fans was incredible. European nights they are always there for us, backing us and supporting us."
