‘Terrific’ player explains why he rejected chance to sign for Rangers

Vaclav Hladky is now playing Championship football with ambitious Ipswich Town three years after coming close to joining Scottish Premiership giants Rangers instead. 

At the time, the sight of a former St Mirren shot-stopper opting for fourth-tier Salford City over one of the two Old Firm giants certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Vaclav Hladky was one of the finest goalkeepers north of the border at the time, after all, and he did not exactly distance himself from speculation regarding a move to Ibrox while speaking in glowing terms about the city of Glasgow.

“When I was leaving St Mirren, I discussed a transfer with Rangers,” Hladky now explains, speaking via Football Scotland. “We got down to personal terms. It was a difficult decision to join a club in the fourth division of English football compared with Rangers.

“But I wanted to prove myself in English football, and that eventually earned me a move to Ipswich Town.”