Last summer Rangers made a recruitment decision that might just make the club millions, given how much of a sliding doors moment it was.
There were two players who benefited most from Rangers not signing a No.6 or defensive midfielder, despite several being linked, and one of them is now priceless.
Nicolas Raskin has gone from sitting in the stands to being the main man in a little over a year to the extent that the Belgium manager is also a huge fan.
The future looks bright for the 24-year old, whether it is at Ibrox or further afield.
Nils Koppen got it right in not signing a No.6, but Raskin’s ability to play further up the park and the lack of depth could see an experienced midfielder targeted this summer.
Do Rangers need to sign a defensive midfielder?
Joan Jordan was heavily linked last summer and a similar profile of player could be available via the Premier League’s list of players who are out of contract this summer.
Everton have one of the largest lists of names, how much Kevin Thelwell has had to do with this remains to be seen, and he is jumping from one rebuild to another.
Well, not so much jumping, as his contract wasn’t being renewed.
The standout, and player who has thrived under David Moyes is Abdoulaye Doucoure.
The perfect modern-day midfielder, Doucoure can sit and protect the defence, or push higher up the park and probe passes through opposition lines.
At 32, his best days are behind him, but the Rangers midfield is already young and energetic, and there is no requirement for him to play 50 plus games a season.
His experience and nous could be invaluable though.
How Rangers could replace Steven Davis with EPL playmaker
It is a similar story with Christian Eriksen.
With 142 caps and 44 goals for Denmark, there aren’t many more playmakers across Europe with his sort of reputation.
In the right system, the 33-year old could offer the sort of control that Steven Davis used to provide Rangers.
Few can spot a pass as well as the Man Utd midfielder either as an attacking No.8 or No.10.
Players like Mohamed Diomande and Lyall Cameron could learn a lot from training and playing with someone of Eriksen’s quality.
As with Doucoure, his legs might not be what they once were, but Davis showed exactly how influential a player of this type of calibre can be.
