While Barry Ferguson will be desperate to savour the joy of the present for as long as he can, Rangers’ interim boss could not help but cast his mind back to over a decade ago as the reality of that Fenerbahce triumph washed over him.
Most of the players who lined up for Barry Ferguson during Thursday’s second-leg clash with Jose Mourinho’s Turkish giants had not even begun their playing careers when the Ibrox skipper was plying his trade for Birmingham City between 2009 and 2011.
Jefte, the youngest member of the Rangers XI, was only six years old when Ferguson put pen to paper at St Andrew’s.
At the other end of the age spectrum, meanwhile, sits Jack Butland. The veteran goalkeeper who rolled back the years to deliver Europa League quarter-final football to Glasgow.
Jack Butland denied Dusan Tadic and Fred from the penalty spot as Rangers triumphed 3-2 on spot-kicks.
Rangers’ Europa League hero Jack Butland has fulfilled Barry Ferguson’s prediction
Ferguson is Butland’s coach these days. Fifteen years ago, however, he was his team-mate.
Despite the former being 47 and the latter a relative spring chicken at 32, Ferguson’s time at Birmingham coincided with Butland’s emergence as a bonafide goalkeeping prodigy.
The five-time Scottish Premiership champion always felt that The Blues’ baby-faced shot-stopper had a long career ahead of him at a very high level. Flash forward to 2025, and Butland is potentially four more stellar performances away from a major European final.
“I’m delighted for him,” an ecstatic Ferguson smiles. “I knew him as a young lad at Birmingham. I knew he was going to be a top keeper.”
In truth, the former England international has looked anything but a ‘top keeper’ since Christmas. A growing throng of Rangers supporters were hoping to see Jack Butland dropped after he gifted Motherwell an opener at Ibrox in their most recent Scottish Premiership outing.
There was, however, never any real suggestion that his status as the Gers’ number one was under immediate threat.
“I think he’s come in for a bit of unfair criticism, if I’m being honest,” Ferguson argues. “The big man showed how good he is tonight.
“Absolutely delighted for him.”
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No practice makes perfect as Rangers survive Ianis Hagi scare at Ibrox
James Tavernier was typically accurate from 12 yards, giving Rangers the lead after Butland had deflected Tadic’s tame effort aside. Vaclav Cerny – perhaps hosts’ finest outfield performer on the night – then converted alongside substitute Tom Lawrence, either side of a Ianis Hagi miss.
Captain Tavernier admitted, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, that he and his team-mates had not even practiced penalties in the days leading up to the visit of Fenerbahce. You wouldn’t have guessed that, however, with Hagi the only one to fall short.
“To be honest with you, I let them decide who was stepping up for the first five,” Ferguson explains. “Just go and pick an area in the goal and make sure you hit that area. Listen, I thoiught the penalties were good.
“Obviously Ianis missed it but credit to big Jack.
Rangers will now face Athletic Bilbao as they look to reach the final four for the second time in four years.
