Ross McCrorie’s mother broke down in tears when she discovered her son was heading home to Ibrox after six years playing elsewhere.
The 28-year-old right-back has completed a £1.5million switch to Rangers, signing a three-year deal at the club where he first made his name.
McCrorie came through the Rangers academy and initially departed Ibrox in 2020 for a three-year stint at Aberdeen under Derek McInnes.
He then spent a further three years with Bristol City in the English Championship before making his long-awaited return to Glasgow.
The Scotland international insists the experiences he has gathered on both sides of the border have transformed him into a vastly more assured and complete footballer.
McCrorie said: “I’ve changed massively. It’s about time I came back and I feel I’m ready now.”
He was emphatic that his return represents a new chapter rather than a step backwards, adding: “I’m not that wee smiley-faced kid from back in the day that first broke through. I’m back here now and I want to come back and win trophies.”
McCrorie revealed that he deliberately asked his agent to keep him in the dark about transfer interest until any deal was close to being finalised.
It was only after completing his medical that he broke the news to his parents via a FaceTime call, with the reaction proving deeply emotional for the whole family.
He said: “When I said I was coming back to Rangers my mum burst out crying and so did my dad. It’s great for them, there’s a lot of emotion because this club is a big part of my family.”
McCrorie grew up supporting Rangers and describes the club as central to his identity, travelling to games with his father on the Ayrshire supporters bus as a boy.
He said: “I know what this club means to the city of Glasgow and the Rangers fans out there. Winning is the only option. Anything else is a failure.”
The reunion with manager McInnes carries particular significance for McCrorie, who credits his former Aberdeen boss with giving him the confidence to leave Rangers and develop his game.
“The gaffer actually took me from Rangers to Aberdeen,” McCrorie recalled, noting that McInnes even visited his home in East Kilbride to personally persuade him to make the move north.
He said of McInnes: “When you speak of the gaffer, he’s a man who would run through brick walls for. He was a big influence on my career.”
McCrorie has taken the number two shirt previously worn by Rangers legend James Tavernier, a decision he said felt natural given that the number has defined his identity at recent clubs.
He said: “I came back and I wanted to take the No2 top,” adding that he holds Tavernier in the highest regard for what the former captain achieved at Ibrox.
His return has been welcomed by supporters who have long called for greater Scottish representation within the Rangers squad.
McCrorie is clear that his sole focus now is silverware, stating that the prospect of winning trophies alongside McInnes was the defining reason he chose to come home.
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