Barry Ferguson Backs John Souttar Amid Rangers Exit
Barry Ferguson has thrown his weight behind John Souttar as the defender prepares to leave Rangers, insisting the Scotland international still has plenty to offer at the top level.
Souttar was told at the start of pre-season he was not part of Derek McInnes’ plans and should find a new club, a blunt message for a player who only recently signed a one-year extension and has been a prominent figure at Ibrox in recent years. Now, with Aris having reached an agreement to sign him, the 29-year-old is on the verge of a fresh start in Greece.
For Ferguson, that decision remains a head-scratcher.
Ferguson baffled by Ibrox exile
The former Rangers captain worked closely with Souttar during his spell as interim manager and saw at close quarters what the centre-back brought to the dressing room and the pitch.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show on 10 September, Ferguson did not hide his admiration.
“I worked very closely with John for three months, and I've got to be honest with you, he was outstanding for me. A real good professional. He was a really good leader in the dressing room.
“It was a surprise not being involved since the start of the season. Wherever he goes, they're getting a top centre-half in my opinion.”
Those words cut against the current reality at Ibrox, where Souttar has been frozen out despite his experience and character. His time in Glasgow has been punctuated by fitness problems, but Ferguson clearly believes there was still a role for him in McInnes’ squad, even if not as a guaranteed starter.
Instead, Rangers are letting a seasoned international walk away just as the season begins to tighten.
Risky call from McInnes
McInnes understands the stakes. Knocked out of Europe, Rangers now live and die by what they do domestically. The demand is silverware, and quickly. The Premier Sports Cup offers the first real shot, with a quarter-final against Celtic at Ibrox on 13 September looming large.
This is precisely the kind of fixture where an experienced, vocal centre-half can steady a back line and a dressing room. Souttar, with his years in the Scottish game and his presence behind the scenes, fits that profile.
Instead, McInnes will go into a season where Rangers aim to compete on three fronts relying on Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya and Ben Godfrey as his core central defensive options. Three players, one position group, a long campaign ahead.
For a club with Rangers’ ambitions, it is a thin margin for error.
Souttar, once viewed as a chosen figure for the future at Ibrox, now heads for a new chapter in Greece. If Aris get the version of the defender Ferguson remembers – the organiser, the professional, the leader – they will feel they have secured a bargain.
The real question hangs over Govan: in a season where every decision will be judged by trophies, has McInnes just created a problem in the one area of the pitch he could least afford to gamble?
