The term rollercoaster barely starts to describe the journey Rangers have endured in the decade since they last entered the Champions League.
But for John Gilligan the sight of the Light Blues taking their place back at European football’s top table after being crowned runaway champions for the first time in 10 years makes the wait for that title triumph worth every second.
Gilligan, a lifelong fan and former director who was a key part of Dave King’s Three Bears consortium which swept into power in 2015, felt every gut churning dip as the club plunged into administration in 2012 and subsequently had to restart life in the bottom division.
The elation of rising from rock bottom to the summit of the Scottish game in just eight years has him on top of the world again.
Not that there aren’t still wounds from the fall which he says have left deep resentment inside Ibrox.
Gilligan backed his former boardroom colleague John Bennett’s blast that there are still “scores to settle” with those who hurt the club at the height of their troubles .
The Scottish football authorities in particular got it in the neck as Gilligan accused them of lacking the compassion shown to struggling clubs on the continent.
Rangers only received their SFA licence days before the start of the 2012-13 season following their financial meltdown - without which they wouldn’t have been able to kick start their journey back to the top.
Gilligan said: “There were lots of people who could’ve helped us and didn’t.
“You just want to prove people wrong. The situation the club was in, we didn’t get a lot of help from the authorities, from the SFA and the SPFL.
“It could’ve been handled differently, a wee bit more magnanimously.
“When you look at other countries when teams are having these problems, they get a bit more help from the authorities.
“We never got a licence until three days before the start of a season under Ally McCoist, that could’ve been helped.
“We weren’t carrying debt, we were carrying a potential charge of a fine from HMRC. The club had reduced its debt to a manageable level by that time.”
While the wounds of those dark days can still be felt, Gilligan is now looking forward to a bright new era after an extraordinary Premiership season saw Steven Gerrard ’s side romp to the title unbeaten and with a record 25-point margin over Celtic.
Four years since stepping down from the board the former managing director of Tennent's is enjoying toasting the success as a supporter.
And the focus now turns to the Champions League and the chance to make serious money again if Gerrard can guide his side through two qualifying rounds and into the group stage.
Gilligan admits he thought the route back to the top would take longer than the eight years since McCoist’s side kicked off against Brechin.
He said: “Possibly a bit longer but it’s a phenomenal achievement to go from the fourth tier to winning the Premiership title in eight years.
“It was worth it.
“Last season was all about getting the title back, this season it’s all about being in the Champions League.
“It’s 10 years since we last played in the Champions League. It was the season before that we last played in the group stage so it’s been a long time.
“The directors have always said that the money from Europe is an extra. The money from the season tickets is money in the bank but the European money in the Champions League is at a whole other level.
“I think it’s about £20m then the attendance money from the games so it’s a lot of money.
“There are no bad teams in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
“In previous seasons in Europe we’ve got better as the season has gone on.
“It’ll be hard and it’s all about the draw, if we avoid a club from one of the big five countries then we’ve a great chance.”
Gerrard has wasted no time strengthening his squad for the new challenges ahead. John Lundstram and Nnamdi Ofoborh have arrived from Sheffield United and Bournemouth to bolster the midfield while Fashion Sakala offers another option in attack after joining from Oostende.
Gilligan reckons handing veteran striker Jermain Defoe a new one-year deal at the age of 38 is every bit as important
He said: “If you speak to any of the previous managers like Walter, they say ‘you sign a guy for Rangers but when does he become a Rangers player?’ It can take two or three seasons.
“I think we’ve got Rangers players now right through the team.
“Keeping Jermain Defoe is psychologically brilliant. He’s such a model pro it’s good to have people like that in the club. I don’t think we’ll sell lots of players.
“Some may move but we’re bringing ones in and I think Lundstram’s a good signing. The togetherness is strong at the club – people at the club understand their roles.
“It’s taken us a long time to get that structure because we were fighting so many battles.”
Do you want an exclusive pre-season Rangers preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.
