The official Rangers Twitter account posted several pieces of content on Tuesday afternoon, to mark the anniversary of the signing of a cult hero.
Nikica Jelavic.
On this day nine years ago, the Croatian put pen to paper and signed for the Gers. He would only end up staying at Ibrox for a season and a half, but it was more than enough time to cement himself into the hearts of the fans.
Overall, he mustered 36 goals in 54 appearances for the club. In anybody’s books, that’s an astonishing record.
Those goals didn’t come in meaningless fixtures, either, he popped up in big games time and time again.
His extra-time League Cup final winner against Celtic is particularly memorable, but he also netted in seven of the final nine matches of the 2010/11 season, as the Light Blues went on to secure the Premiership title.
https://twitter.com/MichaelSeafarer/status/1163761630393569280
So outstanding were his exploits in front of goal, that he was always going to be difficult to hold on to. He moved to Everton for a fee of £5 million in January 2012 and since went on to score for the Toffees, Hull City and West Ham United in the Premier League.
Now 33, Jelavic is still going, turning out for Guizhou Zhicheng in China League One, the second tier of the Chinese league system. He clearly hasn’t lost his eye for goal either, netting 15 times last season.
That predatory instinct is one of the main reasons he was so adored by the Gers supporters and judging by the reaction to his Twitter tribute, there’s still plenty of love for the big striker seven years on.
https://twitter.com/_jamieRFC/status/1163848737548066816
https://twitter.com/govanrangers/status/1163771315033202688
https://twitter.com/weeDec1997/status/1163774153071190017
https://twitter.com/_Taylzzzz/status/1163775893552152576
https://twitter.com/CraigMacleann93/status/1163758232273395712
https://twitter.com/thupertherial/status/1163758448833695745
