Borna Barisic shines a light on Rangers dark days as Croat reveals family regret amid Ibrox loneliness

It's a side to a footballer’s life no one sees. The loneliness. The gloom. The depression. Fans might assume a player is constantly engulfed in joy and light.

But there can also be a darkness that the ordinary punter in the street is blissfully unaware of. After all, what’s not to be happy about if you’re earning a fortune every week? Surely, if you’re idolised by supporters wherever you go, you should always have a smile on your face? But adulation or a fancy car doesn’t always bring happiness.

On the face of it, Borna Barisic had it all when he signed for Rangers back in 2018. A move to a massive club, a lift in salary, European football, Old Firm derbies and a potential Croatia call-up. He had everything – or so it might have seemed. What people didn’t hear about are the nights he sat alone in Glasgow not even answering calls from his own family.

While there were highs on the pitch, there were times off it when Barisic found himself plumbing the depths of despair. He was a young man in a new country, trying to get used to a completely different language and culture. And any criticism of his performances was magnified by how he was feeling within his own head.

Over the course of six years Scotland became Barisic’s second home. He fell in love with the Rangers support, winning all three domestic trophies and reaching a European final.

Now at Turkish side Trabzonspor after leaving Ibrox, the Croat wouldn’t change it for the world. But he has one regret – the worry and onus he put on his family while his mental health was suffering.

In the second part of his exclusive interview with MailSport he spoke candidly about the lows he experienced away from football.He said: “The first year at Rangers was difficult because of