Behind Rangers’ Famous Chase for a ‘Superstar’—How Fear of Regret Led to Signing a Future EPL Manager
Alex McLeish Looks Back on His Successful Tenure as Rangers Manager
Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish, who led the club to a historic treble, has expressed no surprise in seeing Barry Ferguson take charge of the Light Blues.
Ferguson is set to face Brendan Rodgers in his first Old Firm derby as a manager, aiming to improve on past performances against the Celtic boss, who has dominated previous encounters.
With only two victories in 21 matches against Rodgers, Ferguson is determined to shift the balance.
The upcoming derby on March 16 will be the first time the rivals meet on this date since the era of Martin O’Neill and McLeish, a time when Ferguson orchestrated Rangers’ midfield.
“I always thought Fergie had something special,” McLeish told Sun Sport, reflecting on his experience managing the former Scotland international.
“He understood his position, knew exactly what he could do, and had an incredible tactical awareness.
I thought his strategy in the first leg against Fenerbahce in Türkiye last week was spot on.”
McLeish acknowledged the challenges Ferguson faces, stating: “He set up the team that way because Rangers don’t currently have enough creative players to unlock defences.
He doesn’t have the same fortune I had during our treble-winning season in 2003.”
McLeish Remembers His Rangers Glory Years
Despite financial challenges, McLeish secured two league titles, two Scottish Cups, and three League Cups, cementing his legacy at Rangers.
His crowning achievement came in the 2002/03 season when he guided the club to a domestic treble after re-signing Ferguson.
Reflecting on that period, McLeish recalled: “We arrived the previous season when Celtic had an unassailable league lead, but we still won two cups, which gave us momentum for the next campaign.
Winning the treble was a fantastic achievement, and lifting the League Cup that season set everything in motion.”
McLeish highlighted a pivotal moment: “Claudio’s goal in that final was brilliant—his pace to reach the loose ball in the box and his finish were superb.
By the end, we were biting our nails, but we had a bit of luck with big John’s penalty.
That first trophy is always significant; it gave us belief for the rest of the season.”
The Signing of a Future Premier League Manager
During his tenure, McLeish had the privilege of managing several high-quality players, including Barry Ferguson, Claudio Caniggia, Ronald de Boer, Kevin Muscat, and Peter Løvenkrands.
However, one of the standout young talents of that era was none other than Mikel Arteta—now the manager of Arsenal.
Discussing the decision to sign Arteta from Barcelona, McLeish said: “Mikel was just 20 when we won that League Cup final.
He had some fantastic, experienced players around him, and that helped bring out the best in him.
We also did our best to protect him, but we trusted him with a lot of responsibility for someone so young.”
McLeish recalled the first time he watched Arteta play: “We saw him playing as a No. 6 for PSG on loan from Barcelona.
Andy Watson noticed how quick and nimble he was, but nobody really pressed him.”
Explaining why Rangers took a chance on the young Spaniard, McLeish said: “We signed him because we knew if he turned into a superstar and we had passed on him, we’d have regretted it.
The challenge was that I couldn’t play him in the No. 6 role—because we already had one of the best in Europe at that time in Fergie!”
