Kilmarnock newboy Dario Del Fabro was convinced he had to move to Scotland after getting a glowing recommendation from former Rangers midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.
Gattuso spent just over one year at Ibrox between 1997 and 1998 but it continues to be an incredibly memorable one for the World Cup-winning Italian.
The feisty midfielder won everything there is to win in the game, but he still couldn’t help talking up the move to defender Del Fabro.
“I called Rino Gatusso because he was my manager when I was on loan at Pisa and I knew he had played in Scottish football,” said Dario Del Fabro, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“He told me it was an excellent opportunity and to sign for Kilmarnock.
“He said to me that Scotland had made him as a player and as a man. He learned to play there with intensity and passion and told me that as an Italian, I would love the physical side of Scottish football.”
Gattuso continues to be a cult hero in Glasgow with Rangers fans remembering the midfielder’s tough-tackling, feisty style fondly.
Rino, as he is affectionately known, was only 19 when he moved to Glasgow but it’s clear he’s never once regretted it.
Centre-back Del Fabro will be hoping the midfielder’s advice bears fruit in the 24-year-old’s own career too.
It might not be the last time we hear about Gattuso either – a former teammate of his once tipped the Italian to be the next Rangers boss.
