There’s that old adage about staying around long enough you turn from a hero to a villain, but that’s never really applied to Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
There’s always been a touch of the anti-hero to the Colombian striker, often unfairly covered by the Scottish media but an icon to the Ibrox support and an angel back in his hometown.
But the charitable forward has also had his fair share of run-ins with the Rangers crowd, not to mention the club’s managers, and the player’s copybook is anything but clean.
It means that Alfredo Morelos has that unique position in Rangers folklore of being a player that, despite all the ups and downs, they cannot help but love.
There is no player in the Rangers squad but Alfie who’d have managed to survive the best part of six years at Ibrox against the backdrop of his antics, and there are few in the club’s history.
But Rangers’ loveable rogue is at a crossroads in his Rangers journey and all the signs are suggesting that the road ahead in Glasgow is unclear and increasingly unsteady.
Alfredo Morelos’ Rangers future hangs in the balance
The South American has toiled for fitness ever since suffering a season-ending injury last cam-sign which derailed the Gers’ form and saw him miss the Europa League Final.
After being papped out of the club’s Champions League qualification squad, Alfredo has lost a bit of the extra baggage he’s been swinging around but no-one truly believes the old Bufalo is back.
That’s why the suggestion that Rangers would increase the 27-year-old’s bumper wages to renew his contract in the summer is fantastical, with Morelos going backwards in recent seasons rather than forward.
The striker’s petulant, if not justified, reaction to being substituted in the League Cup Final defeat to Celtic has also raised a few eyebrows.
Unsatisfied with the decision, Alfie kicked a hoarding and with that it’s got everyone at Ibrox wondering if it truly is the beginning of the end.
No matter what happens in the summer, Alfredo Morelos will be warmly remembered by everyone Rangers, but it’s specifically not just because of the on-pitch exploits of the club’s record top European goalscorer.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Matondo is stepping up his injury return.
