Rangers have had their fair share of hardmen walk through the doors of Ibrox Park and in turn there have been plenty of them red carded.
From Graeme Souness and Fernando Ricksen to Terry Hurlock and Willie Woodburn, there’s been plenty of names who opposition players would not have liked to get on the wrong side of.
But when it comes to which player has had the most red cards flashed in their direction, trust us when we say it’ll come as a surprise – or maybe not – that he still plays at Ibrox.
Here’s the players who’ve received the most red card in a Rangers shirt as per data collated by Fitba Stats.
According to available data, Rangers have had 216 red cards in total in their near 150 year history.
Four red cards – Willie Woodburn, Fernando Ricksen, Barry Ferguson
Three players are tied on four Rangers red cards with Willie Woodburn remarkably earning this somewhat unwanted accolade with four straight Gers reds back to back.
Between 1948 and 1954, Ibrox centre-half Woodburn earned four red cards – a feat back in these days – and such was his aggressive style he was the last ever player to be handed a life ban for indiscipline.
The ban was handed down for headbutting a Stirling Albion player in 1954 – his final red card for the Gers.
However, the ban was later rescinded and the ex-Scotland international takes pride of place in both the Rangers and Scotland Hall of Fame before going on to become a journalist with the News of the World.
The inclusion of Fernando Ricksen – one of the feistiest character of the modern era at Ibrox – will come as no surprise to Ibrox supporters.
The Dutchman was a fine footballer but played very aggressively and saw red against Celtic, PSG, Dundee United and Aberdeen before captaining the Gers on Helicopter Sunday.
A club legend who fought bravely against Motor Neurone Disease, his passing was marked with tremendous tributes from an adoring support who certainly enjoyed the edge with which he played.
Barry Ferguson’s position as a Rangers star with four red cards may come as a surprise to some, but when you consider how long Baz played at Ibrox and the tenacity of his game perhaps it makes sense.
A tremendous Scottish midfielder with an eye for goal and a pass, Ferguson was the leader of several Rangers sides but sometimes his commitment boiled over.
His first red came in the year 2000 against Celtic at Parkhead for a handball, but he’d also see red against Hearts, Dunfermline and Motherwell in his career.
Five red cards – Ryan Jack
The first of two current Rangers first-teamers on this list, it is quite surprising to see Jacko come third in the all-time Ibrox red card list.
It’s fair to say that referees are certainly more willing to clamp down on aggressive tackles in the modern era and after signing for Rangers, Jack certainly struggled to remain on the pitch.
Not always fairly either, mind you.
Jack received four red cards in his first season at Ibrox, seeing red against Hibs, Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, although the Hibs red was rescinded on appeal.
The player’s red card against Kilmarnock was also downgraded to a yellow on appeal.
Jacko’s only other red card came in the Europa League against BSC Young Boys, a tactical foul later in the match which helped keep the club in the tournament and came after he was already banned for the next match due to an earlier yellow card.
Six red cards – Willie Johnston
Willie Johnston is famous for being the Barca bear who fired a double in the Nou Camp to secure the Cup Winners’ Cup for Rangers in the club’s finest European triumph.
But did you know that the striker is also the second most red-carded Ranger of all-time?
According to Fitba Stats, Johnston – who played for the Gers for a combined total of 10 years across two spells – was sent packing six times for the Ibrox club.
Johnston was sent off three times in 1969 – against Falkirk, Atletico Bilbao and Clyde – as he struggled to stay out of the gaze of the referee.
Red cards would become a staple of Johnstone’s career and he was sent off a year later against Hibernian before being sent off against Partick Thistle in 1972.
After leaving Ibrox for pastures new down south and in Canada, Johnston would return to the club in 1980, where, true to form, he earned a red card in his first year back against Aberdeen in the League Cup.
Still, given the double v Dynamo Moscow, I think we can all forgive him.
Seven red cards – Alfredo Morelos
Yes, despite only being at Ibrox for four seasons and still only being the young age of 24-years-old, Alfredo Morelos is Rangers’ most red-carded player of all time.
When it comes to Morelos most of his issues concern the striker being temperamental as the young Colombian has bit to the baited hook multiple times in Scotland.
However – and Rangers fans may as well be shouting into an empty void here – Morelos isn’t helped by an inflamed reputation by the media and strict refereeing in the country.
Petulant kicks out and nothing incidents have been blown up beyond recognition with the striker often seen as fair game for rival fans and in the press.
That said, Morelos himself appears to have taken some responsibility for his own misgivings and in season 20/21 the striker avoided any on-pitch repercussions.
However had Morelos been sent off for incidents later deemed worthy of retrospective action against Dundee United and Hibs, then he’d be sitting on nine cards.
It’s also worth noting that Morelos wasn’t sent off in his first season at Ibrox and has only been sent packing in Steven Gerrard sides.
Morelos’ first red card came against Aberdeen in 2018 – a club against whom he has been sent off against three times in his career – perfectly symbolises his reputation.
Dons defender Scott McKenna took a bite, Morelos responded, and Rangers wound up drawing the season opener 1-1.
The striker would then be sent off for similar against FC UFA, be sent packing twice in a row against Aberdeen before receiving his first red against Celtic, biting to a Scott Brown heel scrape.
Another red would follow for gesturing to Motherwell supporters the next season, before Morelos received a second yellow for diving in the 2-1 2019 win at Parkhead.
He’d get another yellow as he left the pitch for gesturing to the Celtic fans.
With everyone at Ibrox keen to see the best of Morelos before he leaves the club, let’s hope there’s no more red cards or retrospective action to come.
If you enjoyed this story why not look at our list of all-time Rangers goalscorers.