Social media is awash with memories of Brazilian legend Ronaldo following Monday night's brilliant BBC documentary on the double World Cup winner.
BBC Four showcased 'The Phenomenon: Ronaldo' and reminded football fans all over the country just how scintillating a talent the great man was in his pomp, with clips of his best goals looking better than ever. The show detailed Ronaldo's storied career and briefly revisited his move to Inter Milan from Barcelona in the summer of 1997 for a then record-breaking fee of £20million. But it can’t be forgotten Ronaldo's career almost took on a completely different trajectory – following an offer from Rangers.
Back then, David Murray's Rangers were among the biggest spenders on the Continent and were often linked with some of the game's biggest names for staggering fees that would seem unthinkable in Scottish football's current climate. But you could still be forgiven for thinking the news that Ronaldo was considering a move to Govan was nothing more than a fairytale. However, the man himself confirmed the bid not too long after putting pen to paper at the San Siro.
In the summer of 1997, Ronaldo explained: "Yes it's true I received an offer from Glasgow Rangers. We looked at it and decided the best offer at the time was from Inter Milan so I gave my apologies."
Ronaldo’s agent Giovanni Branchini elaborated on Rangers' remarkable offer, claiming his client had been assured he wouldn't need to play in the Scottish Premiership every weekend.
Branchini said: “The clause in his contract was a novelty at the time and it scared a lot of clubs off. The three who were really interested were Inter, Lazio and Glasgow Rangers, who followed negotiations all the way.
“The offer from Glasgow Rangers was incredible. They told us he didn’t have to play on a Saturday in the Scottish League. They were desperate to win the Champions League and were going to allow him to play in the European matches only. But Inter had followed him from when he used to play in Brazil. Barcelona reneged on a new contract and Inter were the first club to meet the release clause so he went there.”
How would a signing like Ronaldo have impacted the history of a club like Rangers, and what would one of the world's greatest-ever strikers have done to defenders in the Scottish Premiership?
Let us know in the comments section below!
READ NEXT
