Would Moving Back To Rangers Represent A Bad Move For Danny Wilson?

Rangers/Ibrox

New Rangers boss Mark Warburton had hardly got his feet underneath his new desk in the Ibrox manager’s room before he was being linked with a new signing.

Just as Gers fans were waiting for new exciting recruits that they hadn’t been seen in a Rangers strip, the club have been linked with yet another old boy!

But Danny Wilson isn’t a washed up has-been like a few others that rejoined the club in the past few seasons.

Wilson is still only twenty-three and has the tools to become a good all round defender.

In all honesty Danny left Rangers too early, when he decided to leave the Govan club back in 2010. He would head to the English Premier League as an eighteen year old, who seemed to have a huge future at English giants Liverpool.

At Rangers he was making a lot of first team appearances as a teenager, which included fine displays in the Champions League. The young centre-back was also learning from a great veteran defender in Davie Weir and Algerian international Madjid Bougherra. Apart from the obvious money incentives, it really didn’t make too much sense for the young player to leave Rangers so soon.

But leave he did!

Unfortunately due to a run of bad luck and disappointing loan spells, his career at Anfield never really got going and he was released in 2013.

Danny would make the bold move and move back up north and joined Hearts. Even though the Jambos were relegated in his first full season with the Tynecastle side, Wilson stayed on with the Edinburgh club.

Last season as Hearts left Hibs and Rangers trailing in their wake in their Championship title triumph, Wilson was made captain and was one of their standout players. Step one in his career rebuild was complete.

Surprisingly towards the end of that successful season, Danny would announce that he was to exercise a clause in his contract that allowed him to become a free agent this summer.

That has seen the Scottish international linked with a move to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and Greek cracks Panathinaikos.

Both of those moves would represent a step up for the Livingston born defender. Although we yet know if there is serious interest from either side.

At Celtic he would get a chance to shine in Europe once again and also a great opportunity to reclaim a spot in Gordon Strachan’s Scotland side. Central defence is still one of the Tartan Army’s main worries as the national team dream of 2016 Euro qualification.

By playing regularly at Celtic Park and winning things, the defender could finally become that classy centre-back with pace that Scotland have been crying out for. What better example for him to follow than Craig Gordon?

If Wilson were to try his hand in Athens, then that could be a fine move too. I constantly encourage young Scots to go abroad and learn from new cultures (both on and off the park). Panathinaikos are a team rich in history and could improve Wilson as a player.

Even a move to the English Championship could be good for Danny, both in terms of improving as a player and financially.

Surely going back to Rangers would be seen as a backward step for the left-sided central defender.

By saying that I am not trying to infuriate the Gers faithful. It’s the league that is the main issue here, not the size of the club.

I can also see why Warburton would want to re-sign Wilson. He has experience in excelling in the Championship, is young and has fine potential. He is certainly the type of player Rangers should be going for, if they really are serious about becoming Scotland’s second force in the next couple of years.

As I said previously, I believe Danny Wilson made a huge mistake when he left Rangers five years ago.

But equally I think he’ll make a big mistake if he returns now with the Glasgow side still in the Scottish Championship.

Danny Wilson needs to show ambition and once again take a chance at a higher level and regain his spot in the Scotland side.

Only then will his rebuilding job be complete!

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