Rangers Greatest Ever XI Based on Stats

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Rangers Greatest Ever XI Based on Stats
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MARCH 20: Walter Smith, manager of Rangers with the winners trophy during the Co-operative Insurance Cup final between at Hampden Park on March 20, 2011 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Rangers have a glorious and storied history, full of titles and legendary players who proudly wore the jersey.

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But who are the greatest players to ever play for the club? Such a question is always a hot topic for debate, both among football experts as well as Rangers fans passing the time between seasons by playing popular football slots at £1, £3 or £5 deposit casinos. And yes, answers to this question vary as it’s like trying to argue which is the best football slot game because everyone’s tastes are so different.

Should record signing Tore Andre Flo be in? The versatile Giovanni van Bronkhurst or Paul Gascoigne?

With so many players having gone through the doors at Ibrox, it’s almost a thankless task to pick the greatest eleven. But it’s one that we tackle right here as we focus on some key stats.

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Formation

The formation for the greatest Rangers XI is a standard 4-4-2 for a nice balance. The statistics of choice cover everything from the number of appearances to assists, goals, and silverware won with the club.

Goalkeeper – Allan McGregor

The spot that will arguably cause the biggest debate, as many would put the legendary Andy Goram between the sticks. But McGregor was a much longer servant for the Gers, with almost 500 appearances, with Goram around half of that. McGregor, who also had one assist and was inducted to the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2023, had longevity and he was integral to their successes on his return there in 2018.

Right Back – James Tavernier

When defender Tavernier had reached 450 appearances for Rangers he had tallied a whopping 123 goals. For a defender, Tavernier’s output from dead-ball situations is such a valuable contribution from the back and he’s a lock for the best Rangers eleven.

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Centre-half David Weir

David Weir had great longevity as well for Rangers, and he remarkably played well into his forties at Ibrox. That stat alone makes him well worthy of a place, as he was only originally signed as a temporary solution in 2007 but captained the Gers to three straight league titles.

Centre-half Richard Gough

Narrowly beating Derek Johnstone for the spot, is Richard Gough, the first Scottish player to command a £1 million transfer fee. Gough appeared more than 400 times for the Gers and won a staggering 18 pieces of silverware during his time at Ibrox. He also captained Rangers to nine straight league titles.

Left Back – Arthur Numan

Arthur Numan was an attacking fullback that pretty much every modern club today would love to have. He had skill and purpose in everything he did in both attack and defence, as was a mainstay of the team. Numan won 10 major trophies with the Gers.

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Midfielder – Barry Ferguson

Probably the greatest number six to play for Rangers. Ferguson was blue through and through, making more than 400 appearances and racking up 60+ goals. Ferguson helped the club win the treble in 2003 and was awarded the SFWA Footballer of the Year award for his efforts. The midfield legend helped Rangers reach the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.

Midfielder – Jim Baxter

Midfielder Baxter won ten honours in just five seasons with Rangers. Known as “Slim Jim”, Baxter is arguably one of Rangers’ greatest-ever players. He had vision, finishing power and arrogance that was second to none. His time with the club ended early after breaking a leg and eventually retired having made 254 appearances for Rangers with three league titles.

John Greig

The man with the most appearances for Rangers is John Greig who played 498 times. A leader on and off the pitch, he is one of the club’s great captains and led the Gers to the 1972 European Cup Winners Cup title.

Jorg Albertz

A selection from left field, perhaps but the German’s stats stack up. Albertz had an average of a goal every 2.6 games for Rangers, which was a great return from midfield. He scored 47 times in 118 appearances in the Scottish top flight for Rangers, primarily from left midfield, and won three league titles with them.

Ally McCoist

The most obvious pick in the entire starting eleven is Ally McCoist, Rangers’ all-time top goalscorer. He netted 355 goals in all competitions during his 15 years at Ibrox, 251 of those in the Scottish top flight. McCoist also holds the record for the most hat tricks scored for the club.

Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith was a prolific goalscorer for Rangers in the 1930s and was known as ‘The Carthorse’ because he stood over six feet tall. He had a staggering goalscoring record that neared a goal per game, 419 in 441 appearances and won nine league titles with the Gers.

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