Rangers let Filip Helander leave the club this past summer but he hasn’t ruled out a return to Ibrox down the line.
Michael Beale saw a number of senior first-team players leave the club over the summer.
The likes of Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos all moved on at the end of their contracts.
The same goes for Filip Helander, whose four-year stint at Ibrox came to a rather quiet end.
Helander went through injury hell at Rangers and the time came for him to leave the club and pursue a fresh start elsewhere.
Filip Helander comments on potential Rangers comeback
Helander ended up returning to Scandinavia, penning a one-year deal with Danish club Odense.
The Swedish defender didn’t make a single appearance for Rangers last season but has already racked up more than 500 minutes of league action for Odense.
Helander is thriving in Denmark and getting his career back on track after a torrid time on the Rangers treatment table.
The 30-year-old has now spoken to the Daily Record and talked about how great he feels having recovered from his Rangers injury woes.
Helander added that he has only signed a one-year deal with Odense and could yet be on the move again in 2024.
When asked about a return to Rangers, Helander stated ‘you never know’, opening the door to an Ibrox return whilst admitting he looks out for the Gers’ results.
“I’m not aware of the injury I had at all, which is great. And I think I can still achieve a lot in the game,” said Helander. “That’s something I have in my mind. I try to set goals in terms of what I want to do. I’m only 30 so hopefully I have a good few years left in me. Because I was out for a long time it’s almost like I feel more healthy now. It’s about making up for lost time. That’s how I’m trying to look at it. I hope to have a good season here in Denmark and see what happens after that.”
“I’ve only signed a one-year deal at Odense. They weren’t certain whether I’d be fit or not. So it was a good place to hopefully get game time. Could I come back to Rangers for free next summer? You never know. I always look for Rangers’ results and watch games when I can but they usually clash with Odense’s matches. I like to have a close look at the scores or how they’re playing. I loved Glasgow and have fantastic memories. My last year at Rangers was a struggle but it felt incredible to be back playing for Sweden again. I’ve always felt I still had a lot of good football in me,” he added.
My view: Helander returning to Rangers seems unlikely
When fit and available, Helander was a solid defender and he helped Rangers win the Scottish Premiership title in 2021.
Rangers let Helander leave for a reason though – the injury problems just became too much and the Gers couldn’t rely on him anymore.
Releasing Helander and signing him back just a year later would be a bizarre step and Rangers simply need to move on.
Signing another left-footed centre back in 2024 would be a great idea, adding balance to Philippe Clement’s back line.
Helander just doesn’t seem like the right signing for the job having only recently left Rangers, but it’s nice to see that he still holds the club close to his heart.
