(Credit: Manh Tung - Breaking Media)

Harri Burton

Wed 6 August 2025 16:09, UK

Rangers have turned a corner under the guidance of new owners and new leadership ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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But it will always remain imperative that supporters remember what the club was built on, the turbulent times it had to endure, and the rollercoaster of navigating the beauties of this very sport.

From being liquidated in 2012 to lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup back in 1972, the Light Blues have been on an incredible journey to where they are now, and that journey is only set to continue.

Therefore, Football Insider has taken a look at the Gers’ greatest-ever debut performances, starting with Oliver Antman‘s display against Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, 5 August.

Arriving from Go Ahead Eagles on a £4million deal on Monday, 4 August [Sky Sports], Rangers fans believe that Antman could be the signing of the summer, running Viktoria Plzen ragged in their Champions League qualifier to win 3-0.

Being thrown straight into the deep end, the 23-year-old, who notched six goals and 16 assists last season, won a penalty for Cyriel Dessers to dispatch before assisting Djeidi Gassama’s second goal of the night.

Under the lights, on a European night, Antman delivered a star-studded performance at Ibrox, creating a special memory that will be talked about for years to come.

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While a devastating injury brought McLaren’s career to an abrupt end, supporters will remember the centre-back’s incredible impact after arriving just days before his debut against Celtic.

Intelligent, committed, passionate.

McLaren brought all of those things to pitch from the very first day, strolling through a 3-1 win over Celtic at Hampden Park, flourishing in the harsh atmosphere.

Manager Walter Smith clearly viewed the defender, who was 23 at the time, as a key part of the club’s future, and there is no telling what the Gers could have achieved had he remained fit.

One of the biggest voices on Sky Sports as a pundit, Rangers fans will remember Kris Boyd for his instant impact at Ibrox, especially having experienced two successful spells at the club.

However, his first appearance in a Light Blue shirt will forever be talked about when it comes to the television icon, having opened his account with the Gers in a 5-0 win over Peterhead in the Scottish Cup third round.

The 22-year-old announced himself on the stage with a hat-trick after signing during the winter transfer window, sending his side through to the next round, before going on to score 20 goals in 17 starts in the second half of the 2006/07 season.

Kris Boyd is a much-loved figure at Rangers.

(Credit: Imago)

Much like Boyd, Derek Johnstone made an emotional return to Ibrox, but he was a far more adaptable player, featuring primarily in attack, but also doing a job in defence and the midfield.

Signing for the club as a schoolboy, Johnstone became professional in 1970 and made his debut in September against Cowdenbeath, where he scored a brace in a comfortable 5-0 win.

Nobody would have predicted the career he would go on to have, but having scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final just five weeks later, fans got a pretty good idea of his ability.

Amidst spells with Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, Chelsea, and Ajax, Brian Laudrup was, arguably, most well known for his time in Scotland, arriving at Ibrox on a £2.3million deal from the Italian league.

His impact was immediate.

Against Motherwell on the opening league fixture of the 1994/95 season, his precise cross for Mark Hateley led to the opening goal in front of a packed-out crowd.

Time was running out for the Gers to find a winner, however, and after a mazy run from the halfway line, Laudrup supplied yet another assist, this time for Everton legend, Duncan Ferguson, to win the game.

Despite his brother Michael taking the shine away from his career, Brian wrote his name into the history books as well, and he remains a living legend at Ibrox to this day.

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