Sold for £3.6m, value then soared 400%: Rangers had a big Ibrox shocker on "class act" - opinion

Rangers have built an exciting squad at Ibrox with a perfect blend of talented young prospects and experienced professionals all in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s armoury.

The Gers have the likes of Allan McGregor, James Tavernier, Leon Balogun and Ryan Jack, among others, to lean on for their know-how on the pitch.

They also have players like Ryan Kent, Calvin Bassey and Ianis Hagi who are still progressing in their careers at Rangers, with a potential eye on making it at the very top level.

Rangers have had a number of gems pass through Ibrox on a similar journey, and one player with whom they had a big shocker in 2004 was Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta.

He joined the Gers from Barcelona in 2002 at the tender age of 19, and then-Ibrox manager Alex McLeish sang his praises, saying: “Mikel is an excellent young player, and I’m sure he is someone who will really excite the Rangers fans.

“I think the fans will see a class act when he pulls on a Rangers jersey next season. He is very comfortable on the ball and he has an excellent touch – and the great thing is his best years are still ahead of him.”

Arteta went on to play seven UEFA Cup and Champions League matches for the Gers in two seasons, scoring one goal and failing to provide any assists. Reports in 2003 indicated that he was unhappy with being played out of position, which led to him being sold to Real Sociedad for a fee that Transfemarkt claims to be £3.6m in the summer of 2004.

He lasted half a season back in Spain before he was picked up Premier League side Everton on loan in January 2005, signing permanently for the English club in the summer of that year. This is where he really made a name for himself, as in 209 matches for the Toffees, he scored 35 goals and