Injury-plagued ex-Rangers star Jamie Murphy is in line for a return to Ibrox after the club drew Ayr United in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
The 34-year-old winger joined the Honest Men in the summer and even played 76 minutes as the Championship side thumped Kelty Hearts 3-0 in the fourth round.
Rangers fans will remember Jamie Murphy from his stint in Glasgow, which was badly interrupted by a cruel cruciate ligament injury on Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch in 2018.
With the injury all-but consigning Murphy’s Rangers fate, the winger spent loan stints out at Burton Albion and Hibs before heading to Edinburgh permanently in 2021.
Time at Mansfield Town and St Johnstone then followed as Murphy struggled for consistency.
Now turning out for Ayr United, Jamie Murphy will be set to return to his boyhood club as his new side face Rangers in the next round of the Scottish Cup.
Rangers draw Ayr United in Scottish Cup
Rangers overcame the rain and wind in Dumbarton to reach the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, Philippe Clement’s men recording a 4-1 victory against the League Two side.
Having now drawn Ayr United, the Honest Men stand as step up in class for Rangers although the Gers remain firm favourites for the tie.
With Ayr United only a week out from sacking Lee Bullen, it remains unclear who will be the Rangers manager’s opposite number at Ibrox with Davie White in temporary charge of the club.
The match is set to be played the weekend of the 10th of February at Ibrox.
With 16 teams remaining in the competition, here’s the Scottish Cup fifth round draw in full:
Jamie Murphy set to return to Ibrox
The return of Jamie Murphy is an interesting subplot ahead of Ayr United’s Scottish Cup trip to Rangers.
Initially signed on loan from Brighton in the Premier League, Murphy appeared to be emerging as a key played for Steven Gerrard in his new look Ibrox side.
Indeed, Murphy scored the first goal of the Liverpool legend’s reign by opening the scoring in a 2-0 home Europa League Qualifying win over KF Shkuphi.
But that soul-crushing injury against Kilmarnock devastated the winger’s hopes of making it at Ibrox and perhaps this will be the former Scotland international’s final trip to the famous stadium.
Whilst Rangers will have one eye on progressing to the Quarter Finals, perhaps the now Ayr United winger is eyeing a final Ibrox hurrah.
