It’s not often that a player leaves Rangers and goes on to bigger and better things but there is a serious case for Fabio Cardoso now coming under that category.
Signed by Pedro Caixinha, the 29-year old centre-half started his Light Blues career in solid fashion in a new look squad until the wheels came off and Graeme Murty was installed as interim manager.
Steven Gerrard had already made his mind up but now, after leaving Rangers, Fabio Cardoso won’t be looking back on his time at Ibrox with regret any time soon.
Rangers exit sees Fabio Cardoso rise back to the top with Porto
Unfortunately for Cardoso, he was powerless to prevent Arsenal from knocking Porto out on penalties in the last 16 of the Champions League but he has been a key player for Sergio Conceicao this season.
With the enigmatic Pepe not getting any younger, Cardoso has been used as backup for the veteran stopper to give him a rest and allow him to recover from injury.
With three appearances in the Champions League and nearly 30 in total, Cardoso has played a big part in Porto’s season.
The league title looks like it could be out of reach with the three-way fight coming down to Sporting Lisbon and Benfica, Porto only just hanging onto their bitter rivals’ coat tails.
Since moving to Porto in the summer of 2021 he has won the league, cup and league cup, a solid return for a player who couldn’t get a game ahead of Russel Martin and David Bates.
It makes you think doesn’t it?
Cardoso was never a bad player for Rangers, but it didn’t help being surrounded by teammates like Myles Beerman, the whole team was a shambles.
We will never know but, under Steven Gerrard or Philippe Clement, he probably would have been a perfectly serviceable rotation option and was maybe jettisoned too soon.
However, can you blame him for wanting to leave Scottish football after having his nose broken in an incident where he didn’t even get a free kick?
No, me neither.
