There was a moment in history when Rangers could attract some of the biggest and best names in football.
At the end of the 1980s, Graeme Souness attracted the best British talent to Rangers and by the end of the 90s the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup had pulled on the famous blue.
Under Dick Advocaat that pull grew ever more international, with a squad strewn with Dutch internationals who played at the highest level.
But as Rangers reassess their current position in the footballing food-chain, Gary Lineker has suggested the Ibrox club might always regret missing out on football’s greatest ever number nine.
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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree on football’s ’greatest ever number nine’
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer are not just two of the greatest England strikers of their generations but two of the Three Lions’ greatest ever number nines.
So when it comes to strikers, this pair have got some authority and they’ve been discussing the one and only Ronaldo ‘O Fenomeno’.
The Brazilian hitman is widely regarded as one of the best players of all-time and Lineker reckons that when it comes to number nines, only the late, great Pele is comparable.
”I think he’s the best number nine ever,” Lineker told Match of the Day when asked if Ronaldo is the greatest outside of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
”Him and Pele. But it’s hard because you can only judge players you’ve seen. Van Basten would be close, another one who shortened his career with injury.
“He had absolutely everything. Phwoah, what a player.”
Alan Shearer would go on to nod in agreement, adding: “I’d go along with R9, definitely.”
Rangers failed in 1997 bid to sign Ronaldo from Barcelona
Rangers famously failed in a bid to sign Ronaldo back in 1997 before the striker moved to Inter Milan.
Ronaldo was making his way as the best player in the world, having burst onto the scene at Cruzeiro in Brazil and then PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
After an explosive season with Barcelona, Ronaldo was at a crossroads in his career and Rangers tried to put forward an ambitious package where the forward would only play in the Champions League.
Italian agent Giovanni Branchini claims Rangers tried to sign Ronaldo but faced competition from Lazio and Inter Milan at the time.
The striker himself has previously confirmed the interest, claiming that Rangers put forward a package before the hitman opted to move to Italy.
“Yes it’s true I received an offer from Glasgow Rangers,” Ronaldo explained.
”We looked at it and decided that the best offer at the time was from Inter Milan.
”So I have my apologies to all other interested parties and said Inter was my choice.”
The ultimate ‘one that got away’, just imagine if Ronaldo had turned out for Rangers.
