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Glasgow Rangers recorded a confidence-boosting victory over Real Betis in the Europa League group stages last night, netting a second-half winner which Michael Beale will hope kick-starts the club into gear.
The win means the Gers have won two from two since returning from the international break and if they have any ambition of claiming domestic prizes and embarking on a deep run in Europe, then this form must be continued over the coming months.
It’s fair to say that some of Beale’s summer signings haven’t quite bedded in, yet Jack Butland was in excellent form against the La Liga side, making four saves while taking 45 touches of the ball, proving that he is getting back to the form which saw him capped for England.
A deep continental run will also improve the finances, with the club failing to offload a player during the summer for a substantial fee, especially compared to 2022, when three players all left for extravagant amounts.
Nathan Patterson (£16m), Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) all raked in major profits for the club, yet these were the first big player sales for a long time.
Indeed, the last player to be sold for a truly substantial amount was Alan Hutton back in 2008, and he broke the club record upon his departure. It wasn’t until Patterson left 14 years later did that record get smashed.
How much did Rangers sell Alan Hutton for?
In January 2008, the Light Blues were still in four competitions, and although they didn’t know it at the time, the season would become one of the most dramatic in recent history.
Hutton had been in impressive form and was attracting interest from the Premier League, most notably Tottenham Hotspur, and they eventually got their man, signing the right-back for a fee of £9m, breaking Rangers transfer record, which had been held by Giovanni van Bronckhorst since 2001.
The late Walter Smith was clearly disappointed with his departure, but wished him well, saying: “The clubs agreed a fee a couple of weeks ago and it was up to Alan to decide what he wanted to do.
“He took his time as he has told me that he was enjoying his football here and he wasn’t in too much of a rush to go anywhere. But, as the weeks have gone on, he has decided it was the right time for him and we wish him well in that respect.
“Throughout the club there is disappointment that he’s leaving, but clearly it was an offer we couldn’t turn down.”
Captain Barry Ferguson also lauded Hutton. He said: “Hutts has been a tremendous player for us and I’m sad to see him go.”
How many appearances did Alan Hutton make for Rangers?
The full-back broke into the first team setup during the 2003/04 season under Alex McLeish having made his senior debut during the treble-winning campaign the season before, and he was looking to follow in the footsteps of Ferguson as a talented youngster who could make an impression in the first team.
He made ten appearances in the league in 2004/05 and was beginning to emerge as a player who would cement a regular spot in the starting XI before disaster struck against Kilmarnock in February 2005, when he broke his leg and missed the remainder of the season.
Not to be deterred, he came back even stronger and went on to play 60 games in the subsequent two seasons before really coming out of his shell under Smith during 2007/08.
Hutton, who was regularly dubbed the ‘Scottish Cafu’ loved getting forward as much as possible, and he registered five assists across 29 matches that term, which clearly impressed Spurs, and he went on to make 112 appearances for the club.
Although disappointing to see him leave, Smith had just netted the Glasgow side a profit of £9m as Hutton had come through the academy, and it was clearly too high an offer to reject as the Gers struck gold on the Scot.
What happened to Alan Hutton?
Hutton was just 23 when he moved South of the border and arguably hadn’t even hit his peak yet. Under Juande Ramos, Spurs were looking to move in a positive direction and after just a few weeks at the club, he played a part in their League Cup victory over Chelsea. So far so good.
Unfortunately, this was to be his highlight during his time in London as the former Gers defender went on to make just 66 appearances for Spurs before going on to join Aston Villa on a permanent basis in the summer of 2011.
Following several loan spells, it looked as though Hutton’s time in England was going to be seen as a major failure, yet he signed a new contract in September 2014 and this revitalised the defender as he went on to make more appearances for the club, while he continued to star for Scotland, going on to win 50 caps for his country.
He even drew praise from Sir Alex Ferguson just months after joining Spurs, who said: “He’s without doubt as good a full-back as there is in Britain. He’s got great attacking qualities.”
By the time he retired in 2020, Hutton had made over 200 appearances for the Midlands outfit and while he didn’t quite live up to the vast promise that he displayed at Rangers during the early stages of his career, there is no doubt Hutton sparkled at times down South.
Rangers hit the jackpot with the player and his sale allowed Smith to further strengthen his squad during the summer of 2008, despite suffering the agony of losing the UEFA Cup final and the league title on the final matchday of the season.
Not to be deterred, the Gers went on to win the next three Scottish titles and establish themselves as the dominant force in the country.
Hutton enjoyed a wonderful spell at the club between 2003 and 2008, and his sale remained a record for the club for 14 years, before Patterson shattered it last January.