Rangers must bring back Ross McCormack and rectify Paul Le Guen mistake

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It looks likely that Scottish striker Ross McCormack will be leaving Aston Villa this summer. In fact, it has even been reported by The Telegraph that the Championship side are considering a mutual termination to his contract in the summer.

So should Rangers consider exorcising some demons of the past, and bring McCormack back to Ibrox?

McCormack joined Rangers in 2002 and was considered one of the hottest prospects at the Glasgow club. After making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2004 he looked like being a star of the future at Ibrox. However, with the likes of Dado Prso, Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd blocking his pathway, the youngster did not have a chance.

Then came infamous Rangers manager Paul Le Guen. One of the least liked Gers bosses in history, the Frenchman decided McCormack had no future in his Ibrox regime. His desire to prove Le Guen wrong was something the Scot alluded to after he joined Motherwell, telling the BBC:

“It’s not up to me to say he should have given me a chance, but he didn’t.

“I’m disappointed, but these things happen and it is up to me to bounce back and prove a few people wrong.”

Since then Rangers have been left to rue the decision of the Frenchman, who was only at Ibrox for seven months.

McCormack has scored goals galore in English football during spells with Cardiff City, Leeds United and Fulham. Whilst his Aston Villa run has been forgettable, he did score 14 goals in 17 games for Australian outfit Melbourne City during a recent loan spell – so he still has it.

Rangers now have the perfect opportunity to bring him back. Available on a free and looking to kickstart his career, returning to Ibrox would be the perfect move for McCormack.

Of course, he would need to take a wage cut, but other players have proved a willingness to do so in order to play for a club of Rangers prestige.

Some mitigating factors exist. Since leaving Rangers the striker has admitted to being a boyhood Celtic fan, which will not sit well with certain pockets of support.

Another will be the new Rangers manager. If the Gers were to appoint Steve Clarke, that would be a huge boost. The Kilmarnock manager worked with McCormack during his first few months at Villa. But Clarke is adamant he is going nowhere and whoever Rangers do appoint may not share the nostalgia for McCormack that he likely would.

But the fact is McCormack is a goal-machine in England when red hot. Rangers, who currently have Alfredo Morelos and loanee Jason Cummings up top, need some striking reinforcements.

Bringing in the man cut aside by Le Guen as a 19-year-old, who has since scored 161 professional goals, would be a brilliant coup for Rangers this summer.