Napoli taught Rangers a lesson or two when the sides were drawn together in the 2022/23 Champions League.
A post-Serie A title winning slump has seen Antonio Conte installed as manager and the Italian has hit the ground running, thanks in no small part to players with a Light Blues connection.
After a 2-0 win over AC Milan, Napoli’s record now sees them top of the league and seven points clear of Inter Milan already.
Napoli flying high with Rangers connection under Antonio Conte
At the heart of their resurgence is the Scotland duo Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour both of whom have a Rangers connection.
Two players who epitomise Conte’s team first and hard work ethos, and both are excelling.
McTominay was linked with a loan move to Rangers when the now sacked Erik ten Hag wasn’t picking him for Man Utd and Gilmour is, arguably, the best player to ever come out of Auchenhowie.
The base that the Scottish duo provide allows Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to do his thing and the Georgian is having his best season since the Partenopei won the league – a player who Craig Moore urged Rangers to sign.
With just five goals conceded in the league though, it is Gilmour’s work at the base of midfield that is catching the eye.
When Gilmour left Rangers, it was a huge sliding doors moment with Graeme Murty in charge and the squad a mess.
Had the 23-year old stayed just another few months, he would have seen Steven Gerrard arrive as manager.
As a promising midfielder already in first team training at 15, having Gerrard as boss might have changed his thinking.
Is Gilmour interested in returning to Rangers one day
When asked about his departure from Rangers, Gilmour said:
“I was in one of the squads for a cup game at home.
“Graeme Murty’s basically pulled me before the game and says ‘Look, not on the bench, just in the squad.’
“I felt like I was going to be on the bench and maybe even come on that game. It works in its weird ways, so it does, football.
“Of course, I would’ve loved to have played for Rangers. But I ended up moving on and maybe it’s a wee part of my journey that made the decision a bit easier.”
As Gilmour alludes to, the decision would have been a lot harder if he’d had the likes of Steven Davis, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara to train with and Gerrard giving him words of wisdom alongside Gary McAllister.
Speculation has suggested a possible return in the past, however, his form at Napoli suggests that his career is only going in one direction, and that doesn’t involve booking a one-way flight to Glasgow.
