Steven thompson

[ian1964 10,720]

STEVEN THOMPSON ticked every box when he was at Rangers.

 

Hitman Thompson was signed by Alex McLeish from Dundee United in 2003 for £200,000 and won it all domestically.

 

Now he returns to Ibrox on Saturday for the first time since leaving in January 2006 with St Mirren.

 

The 32-year-old is desperate to show Gers fans he still has what it takes.

 

Thompson said: "This will be my first time back at Ibrox and I am really looking forward to it.

 

"I had wonderful times there and they are memories I will treasure for the rest of my life.

 

"I won league titles and cups â?? just the whole experience of playing at Rangers was a brilliant one.

 

"It was a bit surreal at times, but I am very privileged to have played there.

 

"It will be nice to see some old faces at Ibrox like wee Tiny up in the kitchens. It will be nostalgic going back.

 

"I achieved everything I wanted there. I won the SPL, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup.

 

"I scored in an Old Firm game, scored in the Champions League and scored in the UEFA Cup. It isn't until you leave Rangers though, you realise how much you were spoiled. Everything is on a plate for you there.

 

"It is not often you get to go from Rangers to a club with a bigger set up."

 

Thommo was in sizzling form in 2003 and had broken into the Scotland national team the year before.

 

That resulted in Rangers snapping him up with Billy Dodds heading the other way to Tannadice.

 

He added: "Things were going very well for me at United and I had been playing for Scotland as well.

 

"I was on a hot streak at the time with some goals at the start of the season and my contract was up the following summer.

 

"United wanted me to sign a new deal, but I was stalling on it knowing things were quite good for me at the time.

 

"When I heard Rangers had come in, I just wanted to get the deal done.

 

"It was all a bit of a whirlwind, one minute I was playing for United, the next I was getting changed beside Ronald de Boer. We also had the likes of Frank de Boer, Mikel Arteta, Claudio Caniggia, Michael Mols, Shota Arveladze and Arthur Numan.

 

"I can remember it being an incredible dressing room at the time. I can also remember being quite intimidated for the first few weeks, but that quickly went.

 

"It was a wonderful time, but as you get older you look back thinking maybe you didn't appreciate it as much at the time.

 

"Now I can look back at all my memorabilia â?? my strips, newspaper cuttings and videos.

 

"It was great to have been at Rangers, but now I am going there as a St Mirren player and I want to do well."

 

Thommo never got a fair crack of the whip at Gers with a couple of injuries preventing an extended run in the side.

 

The most notable setback was when he tore his knee ligament in September 2003, keeping him on the sidelines for five months.

 

He said: "I was in and out of the team and my knee injury didn't help.

 

"I also had an ankle injury in a game against Celtic which forced me out.

 

"When I came back from doing my knee in, I had a good spell and scored a few goals."

 

When Thompson entered the last year of his contract, boss McLeish told him he could leave and he was quickly snapped up by Cardiff in January 2006. Thommo added: "Alex McLeish told me my contract wasn't getting renewed in August 2005.

 

"He had maybe expected me to stay until the following summer when my contract ran out, but Kris Boyd was on his way and there was already competition for places up front.

 

"I asked my agent to see what was out there and then Cardiff came in.

 

"I was upset to leave Rangers, but at that point in my career it was time to go to another club. I played in the Championship for over five years with Cardiff, then Burnley, and it was a great experience.

 

"It wasn't my best spell in terms of success but I don't look back with any regrets."

 

Saints face a dauunting task against a rampant Gers side who have won their last nine SPL games.

 

Thompson said: "It will be a difficult task.

 

"I can remember going to Ibrox with United and it was always very tough.

 

"Rangers are in terrific form right now, but we will go with an attitude that we have nothing to lose and there is no point just sitting back."

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3866799/Thommos-so-fired-up-for-Ibrox-trip.html#ixzz1aYq5H3I3

[GovanAllan 0]

Nice to see an ex-player with nothing but good things to say about us.

[Guest Dutchy]

I do remember thinking we didn't see enough of this guy, but if he's had all them injuries, I'm affraid that's the way it goes with strikers at Rangers.

 

I think he was better value than Tore Andre Flo, pound for pound, he was streets ahead.

[calscot 0]

I think Beattie was better value than Tore...

[Guest Dutchy]

You think so???:smile::smile::smile:

[calscot 0]

Most definitely. Flo has been an overpaid waste of space at every club he's been since Chelsea. We lost 6M plus huge wages in one year on a guy who couldn't tie Mols' shoelaces. We only lost about 1.5M on Beattie.

[Gazza_8 233]

Hope your get stuffed on Saturday Thompson.

[Gazza_8 233]

Most definitely. Flo has been an overpaid waste of space at every club he's been since Chelsea. We lost 6M plus huge wages in one year on a guy who couldn't tie Mols' shoelaces. We only lost about 1.5M on Beattie.

 

At least Flo scored goals that won us games.

[54andcounting 0]

Wonder if Thompson will get the same treatment as Murray of Hibs got when returning to Ibrox....Hope not.

[Whosthedado 1,680]

I liked Thompson when he was at Ibrox. Always gave 100% for the jersey. I think he'll get a decent reception on Saturday. Hope his team get cuffed though:p