Allan McGregor: Foolish to bet against him - Rangers transfer has ripple effect

From the initial reaction of a sizeable number of Rangers supporters to the news Allan McGregor is extending his playing career at the club, it’s clear that not everyone agrees that life begins at 40.

While the views of any online community are never truly representative of the overall weight of opinion among a fanbase, McGregor is certainly not short of critics who believe last season should have been his last in a Rangers jersey.

But that won’t have the slightest impact on a man who has never paid even cursory notice to what many football players and managers now fashionably describe as ‘outside noise’. It’s safe to say the singular character that is McGregor would have an even blunter phrase for it all.

He possesses a mentality which has served him well over the course of a remarkable professional career which will now stretch into a 22nd season and is deserving of far greater respect than has been on display from some of those who populate the social media platforms and online supporter forums.

The man whose opinion matters most of all, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, remains fully appreciative of the qualities McGregor brings to the Ibrox club, both on the pitch and at the heart of the training ground environment.

It was telling that van Bronckhorst should welcome McGregor’s decision to sign on for another year by hailing the ‘positive influence’ he has on the rest of the Rangers players, while stressing the importance of his dressing room having individuals ‘who really understand the club’.

It is an indication that McGregor’s ongoing role is about much more than simply trying to keep the ball out of Rangers’ net on matchdays. While he is not yet ready to step into a formal coaching role, McGregor’s voice