Robby McCrorie has been backed to handle his return to Rangers tonight.
The goalkeeper, 26, is now Kilmarnock’s number one after making the switch to Rugby Park in the summer and will be between the sticks when they come to Ibrox this evening.
Derek McInnes has talked McCrorie up as a safe pair of hands and says he feels secure with him in goals for his side – and has no qualms about relying on him against his old club tonight.
McInnes is also confident his team can replicate their win over Rangers at Rugby Park not so long ago.
Killie will also have former Ibrox kid Lewis Mayo, another impressive performer for them, in their defence.
Robby McCrorie returning to Rangers a better keeper
Robby McCrorie insists he returns to Ibrox to face Rangers as a better keeper than the one who left.
The Scotland squad man stuck around until his mid-20s in the hope of finally establishing himself as a number one but after the arrival of Jack Butland he could see he needed to get out if he wanted to play games.
He showed what he could do when called upon with two clean sheets in Old Firm derbies but other than that his action was few and far between.
He admits he didn’t feel involved when he was on the sidelines and is now loving getting regular football at Kilmarnock, for whom he will be gunning to get all three points for.
McCrorie said: “It was an easy move to make and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way but it was one I was wanting for a while.
“I am thankful that the gaffer and a lot of people at the club did a lot to make it happen and I am enjoying it now with a run of games. My best moments at Rangers were playing in the Old Firm games. I was ready for them to be honest.
“From an outside perspective, people might have thought I was being thrown in, but I had been on my loans. I try to train right every day so I was fully prepared.
“There’s not another game that compares with the Old Firm derby and we got good results and clean sheets I don’t think you can ask for any more! I know myself I did everything I could have done. I don’t have any regrets. Everything else was out of my hands.
“I definitely feel I am a better keeper now and I feel I can get better. I just want to keep improving. I would train all weekend the game would come and even when Rangers had won games I didn’t have the same feeling. I wasn’t involved on the pitch and I wanted to be involved and have a say in games.
“And this is why I am here at Kilmarnock. I am loving it here. There are a lot of good people here and everyone mucks in to try and do their best for the club and that’s what I like. I am that kind of person too.
“I’ve not really thought about going back to Ibrox too much because of the amount of games we have had. I don’t really know what it’s going to be like.
“The main thing I am going there as a Kilmarnock player and I want to get a good result for Kilmarnock. I am looking forward to it. It’s one of the biggest and best stadiums in the game and I need to embrace that.
“But I’m going back there for football purposes and it’s important for us. There are a lot of games coming up with no breaks so we need to pick up points and get momentum.”
McCrorie’s Rangers decision for the best
Most people associated with Rangers would have wanted it to work out for McCrorie.
Seeing academy kids break into the first team is always what you want and he certainly showed that he had attributes.
He even handled the heat and expectation of a derby on more than one occasion.
But it also fair to accept from his point of view that he couldn’t wait forever.
McCrorie believed he could be Rangers number one but already in his mid-20s when Butland arrived, he was then at the very least going to have to wait around until the Englishman left to establish himself.
He is now playing regular football in the top flight and who knows, maybe we’ll see him back at Ibrox one day à la Liam Kelly?
