Barry Ferguson Backs John Souttar Ahead of Aris Move
Barry Ferguson has delivered a glowing endorsement of John Souttar as the defender edges towards the Ibrox exit door and a move to Aris.
The Scotland international was told at the very start of pre-season that he was not part of Derek McInnes’ plans and should find a new club. From that moment, his Rangers career has been running on fumes. Now, with an agreement in place for him to join the Greek side and a trip to Greece imminent, the chapter is all but closed.
What makes the situation more striking is that Souttar only recently signed a one-year contract extension with Rangers. On paper, he looked like a player locked in for the short term. In reality, he was already being ushered towards the exit.
For long spells at Ibrox, Souttar has been more than just a squad body. When fit, he has been influential, a steadying presence at the back and a voice that carried weight in the dressing room. Injuries have repeatedly stalled his momentum, but his quality has rarely been in doubt among those who worked closest with him.
One of those is Barry Ferguson. The Rangers icon had Souttar under his command during his stint as interim manager and still speaks about him with clear respect.
“I worked very closely with John for three months, and I've got to be honest with you, he was outstanding for me. A real good professional. He was a really good leader in the dressing room,” Ferguson said on the Go Radio Football Show on 10 September.
“It was a surprise not being involved since the start of the season. Wherever he goes, they're getting a top centre-half in my opinion.”
That surprise is rooted in the current reality at Ibrox. Rangers are out of Europe. McInnes knows the domestic competitions now carry even greater weight. Silverware is not optional; it is expected. The first real shot arrives in the Premier Sports Cup, with a quarter-final Old Firm tie against Celtic at Ibrox on 13 September.
This is precisely the kind of occasion where experience at centre-back matters. Rangers, though, are going into a demanding campaign leaning heavily on Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya and Ben Godfrey as their central defensive options. Three players, one position group, and a long season ahead in all three Scottish competitions.
Souttar, with his know-how and presence, could have eased that burden. Instead, he has been frozen out since the start of the season, his situation made brutally clear by McInnes’ early decision to exclude him from his plans.
Ferguson clearly believes that decision is a risk. He sees a player who can still marshal a back line, still set standards in the dressing room, still contribute when the pressure tightens in big domestic fixtures.
Aris, though, are the ones ready to cash in on that judgement call. They have an agreement in place and are preparing to welcome a defender Ferguson describes as a “top centre-half”. For Souttar, it is a chance to reset his career in a new country, away from the injury narrative and the uncertainty that has shadowed his time in Glasgow.
For Rangers and McInnes, the question lingers: in a season where depth and experience at the back could define their pursuit of trophies, has a key piece been allowed to walk out of Ibrox just when he was needed most?
