Former Rangers skipper Lee Wallace has officially announced his retirement from playing football – with a deafening silence from the Ibrox club upsetting some supporters.
Ex-Gers captain Waldo, 35, has called time on his playing career after spending the last three seasons with Queens Park Rangers.
The news was announced by Lee Wallace’s wife Steph on Twitter, who paid tribute to the some 475 professional career appearances the defender made for Hearts, Rangers and QPR.
It appears the left-back will take some time with his family before moving into coaching.
“475 professional club appearances, 30 career goals, 10 Scotland caps,” tweets Steph Wallace.
“Not bad for a young boy from Carrick Knowe! We are all so proud and enjoying having you home for a much-deserved break and family time before the next step into coaching when the time is right.”
Ex-Rangers captain Lee Wallace announces retirement
The former Hearts and Scotland star was brought to Loftus Road after the expiration of his contract at Rangers but that doesn’t tell the full story of the left-back’s Ibrox career.
Joining Rangers on a reported £1.5m deal in the summer of 2011, Lee Wallace would stand as the last major investment by the Gers before the club’s financial collapse a year later.
However, despite having the option to move on as the club rebuilt itself from the ashes of 2012, Lee Wallace was made a hero in the Rangers support for sticking it out and heading up “the journey”.
A player clearly too good for the lower ranks of Scottish football, Wallace’s loyalty was rewarded with the Ibrox captaincy in 2015 following the appointment of Mark Warburton.
Helping Rangers back to the Scottish Premiership in his first season with the armband, the Gers also came within a whisker of the Scottish Cup and Lee Wallace remains an important figure amongst the fans.
But the player’s exit from Ibrox – with Wallace’s final few years also overshadowed by injury – has left something of a confused feeling amongst supporters.
Wallace and teammate Kenny Miller were suspended after a bust-up with then caretaker manager Graeme Murty following a 4-0 Scottish Cup drubbing at the hands of Celtic.
Whilst the details of the bust-up remain sworn to secrecy, Wallace and Miller never really recovered and the defender was eventually released following the expiration of his contract in 2019.
Given a send-off against Aberdeen at Ibrox by then manager Steven Gerrard, it was a proud moment for Lee Wallace and for the Rangers fans as both parties for to show their appreciation for each other.
But the fact Rangers have yet to commend the club’s former skipper with any official recognition has been taken by some as a deafening silence with the player’s acrimonious Ibrox exit continuing to leave a bad taste in the mouth.
Especially when you consider even QPR managed to pay tribute to the defender at the end of his career.
In total, Lee Wallace made 262 appearances for Rangers, scoring 25 goals and laying on 58 assists, with the left-back’s most famous strike coming against Celtic in 2012 and proving decisive in a 3-2 win.
The goal helped prevent Celtic winning the league title at Ibrox.
We’re sure Rangers fans will join us in wishing a happy retirement to the one and only Lee Wallace, who sacrificed the best years of his career to slog it out in the Scottish lower divisions.
Meanwhile, here are the three former Rangers players who’ve lifted the World Cup.
