Completely unpalatable: Rangers must turn blind eye to forward eager for Ibrox return
COMMENT
Former Rangers forward Steven Naismith has been angling for a return to Ibrox in the media – five and a half years after leaving the club and claiming it didn’t exist anymore.
Naismith has said that a return to Ibrox would “appeal” to him if he quits Norwich City in January after being bombed out at Carrow Road.
Naismith was one of a number of players who chose to rip up their contracts under TUPE legislation and leave after the club after Charles Green’s consortium bought the club from administrators in 2012.
The former Kilmarnock striker sat alongside Steven Whittaker in 2012 and claimed Sevco – the name at the time of the company who owned the club – had formed a “new club” that he had no loyalty to.
Naismith may have had no loyalty to them however hundreds of thousands of fans did – and still do – and for that reason many see Naismith’s potential return to Ibrox as completely unpalatable.
It’s not the fact that he left which sticks in fans craw but the manner in which he did – a live, televised press conference in which he couldn’t bring himself to say the club’s name.
Some will suggest that the player had to do what was right for him and his career, which is absolutely fair however guys like Mo Edu, Lee Wallace, Dorin Goian, Carlos Bocanegra and others had to do what was best for their family and career too yet all of them transferred their contracts over in 2012 to the “new club” Naismith had no loyalty to.
Every player that decided that playing in the Scottish Third Division wasn’t the right thing for their careers were allowed to move on with no resistance and a few quid going to the club as a result.
Steve Davis also decided not to transfer his contract over yet actively lobbied Southampton to make even a token payment to Rangers for his signature.
Saints eventually paid £800,000 for Davis.
When Naismith and co left, the only people that saw any benefit were the players and their agents.
The Norwich striker points to the pay cuts that were taken by some of the playing staff in the early stages of the club going into administration as some sort of redeeming factor in his decision to walk away and cost the club – while conveniently forgetting that as part of those it was contractually agreed that the players would be allowed to leave if a minimum fee was met by any interested club.
But then, that would’ve meant less of a signing on fee for Naismith and co.
Naismith might have no loyalty to Rangers but one thing is certain, if he comes back to Ibrox there will be a large section of the fanbase who will never have any loyalty towards the striker again.
In other Rangers news, Football Insider looks at three players Tony Pulis must sign if he is appointed as Gers boss.
We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Rangers breaking news.