Greg Stewart opens up on Rangers exit as he details ‘bond’ that helped seal 55

Departing Rangers forward Greg Stewart insists he has no regrets about joining the club despite his struggle for regular game time.

The 31-year-old played just 33 times over his two seasons at the club but reckons he wouldn’t swap it for anything as he got the chance to pull on the shirt of his boyhood heroes.

Steven Gerrard brought him to Ibrox on a free from Birmingham City after he impressed on loan spells at Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, and he always impressed when he played.

He was unfortunate to be up against some of Rangers’ most important players for a place in the team but he still played his part as they ended Celtic’s title dominance.

And that is something he admits will live with him forever as he opened up on his time at the club and looked back upon it with pride.

He told the Sunday Mail: “For two years, I was playing for Rangers and I loved every minute of it.

“To go in there every day to train and represent that badge meant everything to me.

“The amount of sleepless nights I had, thinking about stopping the 10 and winning that title was incredible.

“Because I knew what 55 meant to people, I don’t think I had a decent sleep for two years. In fact, my first good night’s sleep was probably after we beat St Mirren at the start of March to effectively get us over the line.

“That’s when I finally knew it was over and it was party time. It was everything for me. I actually stopped my life because it was so important. I’ve hardly done anything, socially, for two years.

“I knew what it meant to so many people. My family are Rangers daft, the village in Stirling where I’m from is Rangers daft. So I was aware of the magnitude of it. That’s why the season was just unbelievable. I only played in eight games but I’d like to think that shows how good we were.

“The boys in front of me in the team were doing damage every week. There was nothing I could do but sit and watch.

“Ultimately, I know when people look back on it, my name will be in the squad that won the title.

“But the other boys deserve so much credit. We never lost once in the league and won every home game. The credit is all to them. I just feel lucky that I played a part in helping them get it.”

Stewart was part of the Rangers team that fought back from 2-0 down against Braga after climbing off the bench to help get them in front.

And it’s nights like that he’ll never forget as he admitted the bond between the entire squad was a big part of them going the distance in the league.

It’s unclear where he’ll go next but the former Cowdenbeath striker insists nothing will ever top playing and scoring for his boyhood team at Ibrox.

He added: “When we were losing 2-1 to Braga at Ibrox, I came on and we won 3-2. That was a big moment for me and a really top night.

“But the league was shut off soon after that due to Covid. It was disappointing the way it ended, especially as Celtic were given the league.

“Last year, it was a bit doom and gloom with the lockdown, so it felt good to put smiles back on our fans’ faces with the title. The day we won it, going into Ibrox on the bus and seeing the fans outside – it’s days like that I’ll never forget.

“And whatever happens, it’s great knowing that the Rangers team I was involved in will always have that bond. I’ll keep in touch with them because I had a great relationship with everyone at the club, staff and players.

“I’m sure I could go for a beer with most, if not all of them. I made friends for life in that team. It has been an unbelievable two years, something I dreamed of as a kid.

“To actually make it happen, it’s something I’ll never beat in my career. Now, I just need to get my head down, keep my fitness up and see what challenge is next for me.”