Exclusive: Mark Hateley believes it would cost £200M for him and Ally again

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Exclusive: Mark Hateley believes it would cost £200M for him and Ally again
Rangers legendary striker duo Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist....

Legendary Rangers striker Mark Hateley believes it would cost £200M in the present day climate to replicate himself and Ally McCoist in the modern game, but that the upcoming trip to Parkhead doesn’t define the season.

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Speaking exclusively with Ibrox Noise and our partners Online Slots Real Money, the former Milan, Rangers and Monaco star was frank about where Rangers are, where Celtic are, and how hard it would be to secure him and Ally again today.

Hateley also addressed the Ibrox factor, of Rangers having no Ibrox for now and how that’s impacted performances, and the vibe.

He said:

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“I’d say (no Ibrox) is a big factor. Ibrox and Celtic Park, the two bastions of football stadiums, you only have to go through history, ask the top footballers of our time, and they all say Ibrox is a phenomenal place to play at. I think it is a disadvantage, not being able to play at Ibrox, I think when players come to sign, the younger players, they always want to play in front of 52,000 avid, 100% ‘win’ supporters. Because when you’re playing under that, that drives you to the max.”

This is undeniable, the pressure makes/breaks players, the pressure of delivering in front of that Govan crowd.

He went on:

“We were fortune to strike up a deal with Hampden, but I think it has been a disadvantage anyway. We’ve managed to get the results that we’ve wanted to where we’re playing right at this minute, but as I say I can’t wait to get back to Ibrox and I think I’d have 100% of the fans behind me on that one.”

But on the implications of this weekend’s match, Hateley was a little more cautious:

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“Not really (that defining), a lot can happen over the course of a season, I think Celtic will be big favourites going into this game without a shadow of a doubt, the window is still open right now, so I am expecting a couple of new starters to come in for them on the back of the O’Riley sale and on the other hand I think Rangers will still be trying to get a couple of players out the door before they can bring anybody through the door.”

Ibrox Noise has discussed the difference financially between the clubs a few times, and yes, Celtic now have even more funds, while Rangers must sell to get anyone else.

But that £200M question?

“I would say we’re £200M away from that (Ally and Hateley). I’ve had this conversation with a lot of people, especially in the lounges before a game about putting a team together like the one I played in – I was very fortunate to play with some massive big players – they were basically the finished article.”

And that is a good point – Hateley and other players back in the day were not future prospects, they were 25+ years old and complete players – that today would cost a fortune.

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“To get a partnership like that, that can score up to 25-40 goals (and 20+ assists) a season EACH you’re talking about £175M-£200M. That’s where we are in the modern game.”

If someone like Jack Grealish, a great player but not world class costs £100M, and Haaland has a £200M price tag on him like Mbappe and Vinicius Jnr, then Hateley’s estimate probably, while slightly more than reality, is not that far higher than accurate.

He went on:

“I feel sorry, the current group, we came through the Dark Ages in 2012 then the promotion/relegation stuff and now the players that have come in have to live up to a successful period before that. And as we all know football fans are always comparing. So it’s a difficult stage Rangers are in right now.”

This is also true – this is an unprecedented period in football, where a side previously the quintessential champions, are now having to play catch up to the extent that Rangers did, and fans struggling to reconcile between where we are and where we were.

Comparison is natural, if unfair.

Mark Hateley was speaking to Ibrox Noise and Online Slots Real Money.

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