Former Rangers striker Rory Loy confesses that if he could go back in time to sign on the dotted line at Ibrox, he would have done so.
After impressing in the Kilmarnock youth ranks, the former Scotland U21 international was signed by the Gers at the age of 18 for £20,000 in the summer of 2006.
Rory Loy, a current BBC analyst and former striker, had just two appearances in five years at Ibrox from 2006 to 2011.
He subsequently spent some time in Govan’s reserve team before making his first-team debut as a substitute in a 5-0 win against Inverness in November 2008.
However, after spending time on loan with Dunfermline and St Mirren, Loy only appeared once more for Rangers, coming on as a substitute in a 4-1 thrashing of Motherwell in October 2010.
Loy finally departed the Light Blues to join Carlisle on a permanent deal in January 2011, and when asked about his five years at Ibrox, he admits that if he could do it all over again, he would have stayed at Killie for a little longer.
However, the 37-year-old, who is now a regular commentator and pundit for BBC Sport Scotland following a successful career with Falkirk and Dundee, believes that as a young player, he was a ‘victim of the system’ in his attempts to make his mark at a major club.
Speaking on William Hill’s The Warm-Up, he said: “I had a meeting with [Kilmarnock manager] Jim Jefferies and my agency. I was readily swayed.
“I was 18. My agent was in my ear saying, ‘Go to Rangers’.
“My family don’t have a footballing background. I look at Lennon [Miller]. I’m good friends with his dad. It must be amazing having a dad who can handle these situations because I didn’t have that.
“I’ll be honest, looking back at my full career, looking at the likes of Scott Arfield – I’m not saying I would have got to the levels Scott Arfield got to – but I certainly think, if I was at a Kilmarnock or a Falkirk, I probably would have racked up 100 appearances before I was maybe 20, 21.
