Neil Murray wasn’t trying to praise Celtic. But while explaining what Rangers need to close the gap, the Ibrox chief scout identified the biggest advantage his own club still lacks.
With Celtic wrapping up a league and Scottish Cup double and Rangers spending over £40m to finish third in two-horse league race, Murray is charged to find talent to help reverse the domination of the Parkhead club.
Instead of talking about transfer budgets or tactical systems, Murray pointed to James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney as the players who set Celtic’s standards.
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Between them, James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney have won 61 major honours. Rangers are not trying to copy three footballers. They are trying to recreate everything those three represent.
And Murray believes that Rangers need players like the legendary Celtic trio to get them back to winning ways.
Murray told The Sunday Post, “In some ways, maybe Rangers have been missing that.
“You look at Celtic. They have James Forrest – who has been there a long time – as well as (Kieran) Tierney, who knows the club inside out, and (Callum) McGregor, who has had incredible success as captain.
“These are the guys who set standards for them. Those who come in have to be what Celtic requires.
“That’s how Rangers need to approach things – bring in the right people.
“It’s not necessarily superstars or extravagant footballers, committed characters are also important because it just keeps the standard high in a dressing room.”
Celtic built something Rangers are still chasing
Ever since the Martin O’Neill revolution in 2000, Celtic have handed their winning mentality down the squad for years.
Look at the Celtic captaincy. When Paul Lambert left the club, the armband passed down to Jackie McNamara.
Neil Lennon took over from Jackie and after his tenure at Celtic was over, Stephen McManus took the armband.
He then handed that to Scott Brown who captained Celtic to a Quadruple Treble and another nine-in-a-row.
And now that has passed to Callum McGregor. 26 years of Scottish football dominance passed down through six Celtic captains.
For years, Rangers have tried to close the gap through managers, recruitment drives and squad overhauls. Murray’s comments suggest they now realise the gap isn’t just about players. It’s about a winning culture. And a winning culture takes years to build.
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