Rangers have already seen plenty of their young loan signings go on to bigger and better things since leaving Ibrox.
That’s despite often moving on from the Gers under a shroud of criticism, largely borne from the club’s inability to properly challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.
Amongst those ex-Rangers stars who’ve gone on to make a name for themselves in Europe include the likes of PSV star Malik Tillman and Brest loanee Abdallah Sima.
But there’s another loan Ranger – who also intimated that he wanted to stay at Ibrox – who is making a big impression since his short term stint at Ibrox ended.
Fabio Silva wanted Rangers star
In the six or so months that Fabio Silva was in Glasgow, the talented Portuguese forward blew hot and cold at Rangers.
Initially signed as a new striker option, Silva spent the bulk of his Rangers career out on the left following injuries to Abdallah Sima and Oscar Cortes.
For Rangers, Silva did help the club mount that serious title tilt only to be part of an underachieving squad who failed to get things over the line in the end.
Fabio Silva, who is only 22, also faced the criticism of the Scottish press for some minor playacting and – checks notes – successfully winning a penalty against Celtic.
But whilst Silva claimed he wanted to stay at Rangers this season, we don’t think the Wolves star has many regrets about signing a temporary deal with Las Palmas instead.
“I love to be here,” Fabio Silva told BBC Sport in March. “You know, in football, in life, I don’t control these things 100% so it’s not my decision 100% to stay here.
“If it depends on me, maybe yes. After I will have to see because as I say I can say yes and then after you have a lot of things around that to take care.
“So it’s not my job 100%, maybe on that part I have the least work to do to stay here.
“But this is not the most important now. We have two months to enjoy football, to win titles.
“If we win titles and everything is going the right way, Rangers and me we are going to do everything for me to stay.”
Ex-Ibrox striker scores winner v Barcelona
That’s because Fabio Silva has just scored the winning goal for Las Palmas against La Liga leaders Barcelona, with the Catalan giants rehoused at the city’s Olympic Stadium with the famous old ground being renovated.
The £35m Wolves striker scored the eventual winner after Barcelona had equalised following Sandro Ramirez’s opener.
Silva, who was playing in the striker berth, reacted to a ball over the top before coolly slotting it into the bottom corner to record a famous victory.
The goal is Silva’s fifth of the La Liga season, with the striker scoring for a third league game in a row.
This comes after Silva was handed his first Portugal cap by Roberto Martinez with the forward’s career going from strength to strength.
And to think, there were plenty who didn’t think the hitman was good enough for Rangers…
