ALEX RAE lived the dream at Hampden and realised a lifelong ambition at Ibrox. The midfielder returned to Rangers in the twilight of his career and helped Alex McLeish’s side to one of the most remarkable title wins Scottish football has ever seen.
Rae had mixed it with some of the biggest names in the game during his career in England but it was in Light Blue that he experienced his ultimate highs. Here, he tells SportTimes about his three favourite matches for Rangers.
Rangers 7-1 Dundee United
February 2, 2005
Hampden
Scorers: Novo (2), Prso, Buffel, Ricksen, Thompson (2)
I captained the team at Hampden and we won 7-1. It was the night that Barry Ferguson made his first appearance since coming back to the club from Blackburn. We got off to a great start through Nacho and Dado and it was comfortable for us in the end as Thomas Buffel and Fernando scored and Stevie Thompson got two late on.
Obviously the score was comprehensive and that was great but from a personal point of view it meant a lot to lead the team out and I took great pride in that. It was a terrific honour when Big Alex told me I was captain.
I came back to Rangers late in my career and there are a lot of special characters who have worn that armband. It was a personal highlight and one that was really important to me.
At that point, I had probably been involved in more than 650 first team games but to captain Rangers was undoubtedly a highlight. It was a lovely moment.
I hadn’t played at Hampden in my career prior to that game so it was nice to be able to do that as well. We beat Celtic in the previous round and this win set up the final against Motherwell.
Rangers 5-1 Motherwell
March 20, 2005
Hampden
Scorers: Ross, Kyrgiakos (2), Ricksen, Novo
I only came on for the last 11 minutes of the game but I will always remember the occasion at Hampden. I had been out for a few weeks and hadn’t even played a Reserve game and just to get an opportunity to get on the pitch and get a medal meant a lot to me. I was 35 and to win the double that season was brilliant.
The celebrations afterwards were very low key. We went back to the Ibrox Suite. Ronald Waterreus was playing the drums and Stevie Thompson was on guitar but we had big games coming up that we had to be ready for because we were still chasing the title at that time.
If you are winning cups, it gives you belief that you can win more silverware. We had that winning mentality in that squad and the medal was one of the few that I won in my career.
The shirt I wore that day is one of the tops that I have kept purely because of the significance of that day. When I was an apprentice, Davie was one of the main men at Rangers and it was a fitting tribute to him that day.
Coops was an integral part of my early career and to return to the club and win a medal that day meant a lot to me. Losing him so soon was tough to take and both sets of fans came together to remember him that day.
Hibernian 0-1 Rangers
May 22, 2005
Easter Road
Scorer: Novo
It was a remarkable day. I had played in big games down south in the play-offs but you always get false dawns and you know how much is at stake.
I had been there before trying to get to Wembley and missed out so I knew anything could happen. When Barry Ferguson was on my back with five minutes to go saying ‘we have effing won this’, I had visions of something going wrong.
In the end, you couldn’t write the script. It was Celtic’s title and then suddenly it was ours.
I had never been back to Ibrox for a title party before so to experience that was incredible. Ibrox was packed and it is only when you are walking round that you realise the significance of the whole thing. It was unbelievable.
We had to fight our way to the front door and we saw what it meant to the punters at Easter Road and at Ibrox. When you are younger, you can take success for granted but as you get older and your career is winding down you appreciate things more.
When I was in England, I could never get back for a title party so to experience that was brilliant. I was overwhelmed trying to take it all in and it was about me trying to absorb it all. It was the only title I ever won with Rangers and it meant so much to me.
I won the title with Sunderland but it wasn’t something that was happening time after time for me so I had to cherish it. Playing in the Premiership was tremendous, but it was nothing compared to winning medals with Rangers.
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