Last night, Gareth McAuley breathed new life into rumours of a Rangers return for Steven Davis.
A veteran of 105 Northern Ireland caps and 306 Premier League appearances, the diminutive playmaker oozes class.
After five trophy-laden seasons in Glasgow between 2008 and 2012, he knows what it’s about to be a Ger.
Before the season began, with Davis the club captain and a regular starter at Southampton, few would have tipped him for a return to Ibrox.
However, his stock at Southampton has mysteriously fallen. Although still club captain, Davis found himself regularly excluded from match day squads by Mark Hughes.
The Welshman’s sacking has signalled a new era at the Saints, but it’s yet to be seen what role Davis plays in that.
What will Hasenhuttl do?
This Sunday, Arsenal travel to St Mary’s and Rangers fans will get a clearer idea of the availability of the 33-year-old.
Davis didn’t feature in last weekend’s defeat at Cardiff, undoubtedly a positive sign for hopeful Bears.
However, new manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, was only a few days into the job at that stage. Since then, he has had the benefit of a second week of training with which to fully appraise his squad.
Should Davis feature on Sunday, it’s a clear indication he is in Hasenhuttl’s plans. Conversely, should he be once again excluded, surely the door is wide open for Rangers.
With European Championship Qualifiers on the horizon, Northern Ireland’s captain can’t afford much longer on the sidelines. Therefore, any offer that comes in from his former employers would be hard to ignore.
This weekend could be decisive, so be sure to keep an eye on that Saints team sheet!
