Allan McGregor approaches another Rangers milestone - but uncertainty over long-term future

Gary McAllister has paid tribute to Allan McGregor as he gets set to make his 400th appearance for Rangers, insisting the veteran deserves to be afforded the same status as Andy Goram in the pantheon of goalkeepers who have played for the Ibrox club.
Allan McGregor will make his 400th appearance for Rangers if he plays against St Mirren in Paisley on Wednesday. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)Allan McGregor will make his 400th appearance for Rangers if he plays against St Mirren in Paisley on Wednesday. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)
Allan McGregor will make his 400th appearance for Rangers if he plays against St Mirren in Paisley on Wednesday. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Goram, a former Scotland team-mate of McAllister, is regarded by many Rangers supporters as their greatest ever ‘keeper.

After signing from Hibs in 1991, Goram made 260 appearances over seven seasons which saw him win 10 major domestic honours with Rangers.

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McGregor is now in his second stint at the club, having left in 2012 for spells with Besiktas and Hull City before returning in the summer of 2018.

He has been an integral figure since then as Rangers have re-established themselves as a credible force in Europe under Steven Gerrard and has been in fine form again this season as they have opened up a 16-point lead at the top of the Premiership.

“He is obviously a player who plays with loads of emotion, he is a very passionate man and he is a winner,” said McAllister of McGregor as he approaches his latest career landmark against St Mirren in Paisley on Wednesday afternoon.

“Over the time that I have been here, I always look at Allan in comparison to Andy Goram and they are very similar. They are both terrific shot stoppers, both fantastic professionals, train extremely hard and their work ethic is stunning to see.

“That is why Andy played for so long and why Allan has done so too. Certainly, 400 appearances for Rangers is a stunning sum of games. I’m delighted for him. But it is off the back of hard work and you don’t achieve that sum of games if you are not dedicated. Allan is a true professional.”

McGregor will celebrate his 39th birthday next month and his current contract is scheduled to expire at the end of this season.

It remains uncertain whether he will extend his playing career beyond next summer but McAllister believes he is capable of doing so.

“That comes from within Allan, it’s about how much he wants to go on and how much he can put his body through,” said McAllister.

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“He probably does have to manage his body differently to when he was a younger man. That comes from his gut and he is experienced enough for his gut to tell him when it is time or whether he can go on. Looking at him at the moment, he is in great condition.”

McAllister is hopeful Rangers can avoid the defensive mistakes they made in their shock 3-2 Betfred Cup defeat at St Mirren two weeks ago as they return on league business.

"We debriefed as we always do after a game,” he said. “What we saw in that game were some uncharacteristic errors. There was a wee catalogue of things which we openly discussed with the players. It was something we had to rid ourselves of.

"In the three league games since then, we’ve taken nine points, kept two clean sheets and scored seven goals. The reaction has been good but we have to keep our feet on the pedal.”

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