Lorenzo Amoruso reveals that he did not want to leave Rangers, and his Ibrox exit left him in tears.
The Italian spent six seasons at the club before leaving them permanently in 2003 for Blackburn Rovers.
Five years after his Rangers exit, Amoruso called time on his professional career.
The defender captained the Light Blues and ended up winning nine trophies during his time in Glasgow, the most successful spell of his career.
Lorenzo Amoruso breaks down financial reality at Rangers
Amoruso reveals that financial reasons were primarily why he had to be shown the door at Rangers.
Alex McLeish came to his house once after training and spoke to him directly, explaining that the club could not afford to keep him on board.
The then Gers boss told the Italian that his sale would see the club making good money, even though he had just one year left on his contract.
After scoring against Dundee and winning his second treble at the club, the reality hit Amoruso that he would probably not play again for the Ibrox outfit.
Seeing Arthur Numan also announcing his retirement proved to be an extremely emotional moment as well.
He told BBC’s Saturday Show: “It was very emotional and personal. In my heart, it’ll never go away. There was a financial problem at the time for Rangers. A month before Alex McLeish came to my house after training.
“He said to me, ‘Lorenzo, I have to talk to you face to face.’
“There were rumours about because Rangers couldn’t get in a good situation financial wise, plus there were rumours about some players who should have been sold. But I never thought I was one of them. Don’t get me wrong, everyone can be sold.
“But Alex came over and said, ‘Lorenzo, look at me as an older brother at the moment, not as your manager. We cannot really afford you anymore.’
“I said, ‘Gaffer, we’re fighting for the Scottish Cup and League. I don’t really want to think about that now. I’ll just concentrate on my job until the end of the season, and eventually, when I go back home, I’ll take a few days off and think in a better way without any pressure.’
“So that game against Dundee was a sign from someone up there. I was the man of the match, goalscorer, a second Treble… I think sometimes when things happen, there’s always a reason why.
“Nothing was done at that time. I wasn’t even talking to Souness or Tugay because it was Tugay who really brought me down there in Blackburn.
“While we were celebrating, we saw Arthur Numan, who announced his retirement that day as well. And I felt so weak. I felt so strange that I started to cry because I knew that could be my last game for Rangers.
“In my heart, it was my idea to finish my career at Rangers. But I said to myself, this is the way that I would say goodbye to everyone, especially the support who have supported me the whole six years.
“This is the day, because when you finish that way, that’s something that people will never forget and it’s the best way to thank you very much to everyone for what they gave me.”
How is Amoruso remembered at Ibrox?
Despite the timing of his exit, the 54-year-old is viewed as a Hall of Famer at Ibrox and recognised as a club legend.
While he had a complex relationship with the supporters, he is widely lauded for being one of the most successful captains in Rangers’ history.
Being the first Catholic player to play for the Light Blues, the Italian had to deal with adversity from the fans during bad games, but he overcame those odds to become a favourite at Ibrox.
He even won the SPFA Players’ Player of the Year award in 2002, with McLeish managing to get the best out of him.
