Alan Hutton has revealed to Football Insider that he could have made a return to Rangers a few years ago and also stated that he would find it difficult to play for another club in Scotland.
The defender is currently a free agent after seeing his contract at Aston Villa come to an end and is thought to have rejected a number of offers from several Championship clubs.
Speaking about the interest being shown in him, the 34-year-old stated that he may have had the possibility of rejoining his former club a while back, although admitted he could not see himself returning to Ibrox any time soon.
“Not so much but I find it tough to go back to Scotland. Rangers is my team, I came through at Rangers and I just think to go anywhere else would be really difficult for me and I don’t think I would want to,” he said.
“Maybe a few years ago there was a chance at Rangers but again it’s probably a position that they’re not in a hurry to fill.”
The possibility that Hutton may have had the opportunity to make an Ibrox return a couple of years ago may come as a surprise, but it would be extremely difficult to see the right-back come back to the club under Steven Gerrard.
The Light Blues have plenty of options available to them in that particular position, with James Tavernier standing as the first-choice right-back, while Jon Flanagan and Matt Polster both provide cover. Young Jordan Houston, currently out on loan at Ayr United, is also a player who could, potentially, be considered as one for the future in that slot.
His experience and knowledge of playing in the Scottish Premiership and for Rangers is undeniable as he made 90 appearances for the Light Blues during his time with the club and helped them win the 2004/05 league title, which led to Tottenham Hotspur paying £9m for him in 2008 (The Times).
However, whether he has the same level of quality of Tavernier is debatable whilst his age would suggest that he could only be considered a short-term option for Gerrard at best.
It will be interesting to know as to why a potential move never actually happened if Hutton did have the opportunity to make a return to Rangers, although it is likely that ship will have sailed for him now.
The experience could be handy, but with the options available to Gerrard at Ibrox currently, it would be difficult to see the 34-year-old being anything more than a back-up option.
Rangers fans, what do you make of Hutton’s recent comments? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!
