As Hibs have confirmed, midfielder Greg Docherty has returned to Ibrox from Easter Road, but we have to immediately shrug our shoulders and say ‘so?’

It’s not that we don’t care about the attacking playmaker, it’s not that we don’t rate him – regular readers to this site will be well aware of just how highly we regard the former Hamilton man.

No, it’s the patent reason that Steven Gerrard simply isn’t interested in the boy.

No matter what Docherty does, be it score 20 goals a match, make 86 saves, 345 assists and bring peace to the Middle East while curing cancer, the 23-year old engine room man has no place at Ibrox under this manager, for reasons we can’t truly fathom:

“This is a player we respect very much because of the way he’s gone about it. He’s given his maximum effort to try and push the lads in the starting XI, but unfortunately it hasn’t happened.”

“Maybe the best thing for him is to go play football – I can’t stand in his way then.”

“Greg Docherty has been absolutely magnificent with his professionalism and training really well – but in his position, we’ve had Ryan Jack who is arguably our player of the season. Greg has done absolutely nothing wrong so I have to be respectful for him and understand his situation. Maybe the best thing for him is to go play football. I can’t stand in his way then.”

A glut of different Gerrard quotes on Docherty. With a lot of inconsistency and frankly hypocrisy in there, and no one really knows why.

So it doesn’t matter he’s back from Easter Road, he’s got no future at Ibrox. Not unless there is an astonishing change of heart.

And Steven Gerrard doesn’t do those.