Antonio Colak’s stay at Rangers was short and sweet.
But as it does with so many, the club left and indelible mark on the Croatian striker. The frontman spent just one season at Ibrox, scoring 18 goals in his 39 appearances.
The majority of them came early in the season under the man who signed him, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, scoring 10 in his first nine Premiership games and then only adding another three in the league.
There was a chance after the Dutchman was sacked and Michael Beale took over, the striker finding himself less of a favourite and that became even more the case that summer.
Colak has previously admitted to Rangers Review frustrations around Beale’s management but insisted he would be a Rangers fan for life.
A big part of his enjoyment at the club was the Rangers fans and their incredible support for the team and he admitted he still got messages from supporters after leaving.
Colak has even since compared Gers to Real Madrid because of the ‘spectacle’ of playing in front of 50,000 at Ibrox and in the Champions League.
The 31-year-old initially moved to Parma but didn’t hit it of there like he did in Glasgow and is now with Spezia in Serie B.
Colak hinted at where things went wrong at both Parma and Rangers after starting to be used in a strike pairing at his new club, rather than as a lone frontman.
And he admits he would have loved to stay in Glasgow for longer.
Antonio Colak on Rangers ‘love’ and regret
Colak still has a deep affection for the club and still watches matches and follows results.
Indeed, he wishes he was there longer than just the one season.
But at the same time, he knew he had to leave when he did because Beale didn’t fancy him and was bringing in the likes of Cyriel Dessers as Colak fell down the pecking order.
The 31-year-old told the Sunday Mail: “For me, I tell you honestly, I love Rangers. I follow every match because I got affected by that club and their fans. I had a successful period there, personally.
“But unfortunately, circumstances meant I had to leave. I wish I had a longer time at Rangers. Somehow, I just had a feeling that I fitted into that club and that environment.
“It’s a special, unique club. It’s a way of life. Not every player can stand the pressure or expectation there. But I immediately felt welcomed there.
“Why did I feel that way? It’s a difficult question to answer. It suits some players and others, maybe not. It’s about the fans, the history, everything. Immediately, it became a love for me, not a pressure. It gave me motivation and ambition.
“In the summer of 2023, I knew I had to leave. On our pre-season trip to Germany, I could see right away how things were going. I could see the position I was in. Where I was in the rankings of the players. So I knew I’d have to go.
“It was a sad situation for me, especially with what I’d achieved the year before. I’ll never forget the moment Rangers made a highlights video of me to say goodbye. It was really emotional for me.
“I was frustrated because I knew I could do the job of scoring goals at Rangers. I felt it when I arrived. I was the Croatian number nine, after Dado Prso and Nikica Jelavic – it was meant to be for me. That’s how I felt. I signed a contract for three years and felt sure I’d be there for that time. I didn’t want to go.
“I’m not an angry person, I try to see everything in a positive way. I had to make the best out of the situation. I didn’t change. I’m the same guy, same player now. You can only influence things in your control.
“Other things, you can’t influence, so you have to move on. When I look back at my career, nothing compares to Rangers. They stand out as the biggest club. Of course, I wish I could have won trophies there – that was the only thing missing. Bu they’re my number one club. When I watch the games now, I still think – that could be me. Could I still have been scoring goals there? Yes, I think I could.”
Colak repeats Michael Beale frustrations
Colak has previously insisted Rangers should have stuck by van Bronckhorst for longer.
That may have changed his own fortunes.
Initially remaining optimistic when the Englishman came in, that soon changed.
He added: “Initially, I wasn’t worried about my place when Beale came in because I’m always a positive, optimistic person.
“I like to think I’m a player who can adapt to any coach. When a new one comes in, you look forward to working with him. But of course, some players had an advantage because they had worked with him already. I was a bit unlucky with injuries but I didn’t get the game time I wanted.
“Yet I still finished the season as top scorer for the team so I was really happy with that. Beale changed a lot. He had his way of working.
“As a person, he had his way of presenting to the team and on the training pitch. Also, the training was different. So it was totally different to Giovanni, in terms of how they both saw football.
