Brendan’s exit will have shocked the Celtic players as much as Souness leaving us, says Rangers legend Ian Durrant

The Celtic support has been reeling all week following Brendan Rodgers’ sudden dash to join Leicester City.

Ian Durrant can recall the time when Rangers fans were plunged into a similar scenario.

It was April, 1991 and, out of the blue, Graeme Souness left Ibrox to become Liverpool manager with the Scottish Premier League title still on the line.

There were just a handful of games to go, and the Light Blues were locked in a battle with Aberdeen to win the flag.

Just as Celtic have turned to Neil Lennon – a man steeped in the club – to steady the ship, Rangers had a ready-made replacement in Walter Smith.

He was the man the players wanted to move up from his role as assistant boss and succeed Souness, someone who would bring continuity and calmness to the situation.

Durrant recalled: “We were shocked when Graeme Souness left, in much the same way, I guess, as Brendan leaving hit the Celtic dressing-room.

“But when we sat back and analysed the situation, we had to accept the only club Graemee was going to leave us for was Liverpool.

“Having been a European Cup-winning captain there, when they came calling, he felt he could not turn them down.

“As has been the case with Celtic in the past few days, there wasn’t much waiting around for the players, and we were delighted when David Murray offered the job to Walter Smith.

“Ally McCoist told me that, right after Graeme left, Walter had pulled him aside to tell him that he had been offered the job.

“We were at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, not far from Ibrox, using their facilities, having a sauna and stuff, unaware of what was going on in the background between the club and Souness.

“Walter wanted Ally to give him a feel of what the reaction from the players would be if he took over.

“Ally assured him that the whole dressing-room would be behind him 100%. We had total respect for Walter and were delighted for him.

“Even while he was assistant to Graeme, Walter was hands-on with us every day, and would discuss the tactics and do the set-pieces.

“He knew the game inside out.

“So we had to respond in the best way to the move to give him the job, and that was to win the title.

“It came down to the last day of the season and Aberdeen, our nearest rivals at that time, only needed a draw as they were top of the league on goal difference.

“We needed to win.

“In the build-up to the game, we had a lot of players out through injury, such as our captain, Richard Gough.

“Bomber Brown could hardly walk, never mind play football.

“I roomed with him the night before the game and, I kid you not, he had to crawl along the floor when he got out of his bed to get to the bathroom for a hot bath.

“That was at 6am. I had so much admiration for Bomber’s fighting spirit. He was just a great all-round team-mate.

“Three hours later, he was at Ibrox to take an injection, and he was told that would not be enough to see him through the 90 minutes.

“But Bomber had Rangers in his heart and was not going to let anyone down.

“Needless to say, Bomber’s Achilles tendon snapped after about an hour, and he had to be subbed.

“It was quite funny because Mark Walters also wanted to go off as he felt his hamstring a bit tight.

“But Bomber told him – in no uncertain terms – that he was going off and Mark would have to play through the pain barrier.

“I was on the bench, and so was Coisty. We came on but we were nowhere near fit.

“But it was just about rolling up the sleeves, gritting your teeth and doing your bit.

“We had to really dig in, because that was a class Aberdeen team, with players such as Alex McLeish, Hans Gilhaus and Stewart McKimmie.

“They had been in fine form, and cut back the seven-point gap we had on them in the space of 10 games.

“We won the game 2-0, thanks to a double from Mark Hateley, to take the Championship and that was one of my greatest memories in football.

“It was only Walter’s fourth league game in charge, and we were all delighted for him.

“It was the start of special period for the club, and we went on to win nine-in-a-row under Walter.”

You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that Durrant does not want Neil Lennon to have a similarly galvanising effect on Celtic’s tilt at going for 10 in a row.

For all that, Walter was backed in the transfer market by David Murray as the Light Blues looked to equal their great rivals’ run of title success, it was off the park that he made one of his most-significant signings.

“Walter brought in Archie Knox as his No. 2, persuading him to leave Alex Ferguson at Manchester United for us,” Durrant continued.

“That was the pull Walter had, and the attraction Rangers had to Archie.

“They had a brilliant partnership.

“Nearly 30 years on, Celtic sit in pole position to win their eighth consecutive title.

“Do I think that Brendan Rodgers leaving gives Rangers any extra hope of clawing back the deficit?

“Well, you must never give up hope and you definitely never concede anything in the first week in March.

“Neil Lennon knows the club inside out.

“However, the players at Celtic are the same.

“They are a talented squad and they will not be disrupted by the change of management.

“Players are now equipped to function, regardless of the manager.

“Managers come and go. Look at Claudio Ranieri being sacked the other day by Fulham after less than 20 games in charge.

“That’s how unstable football can be for a manager.

“But players have contracts and get on with their jobs.

“No matter who the manager is, there should be a desire within to do well for yourself and your family and the supporters.

“So Celtic are still the favourites and the gap they have just now is a comfortable one.

“All Rangers can do is keep winning their games, and it’s vital they win the next Old Firm game at Celtic Park on March 31.

“We can then assess things after that and have a clearer indication of how the final six weeks will unfold.”

© Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

Steven Gerrard has admitted that the best chance of silverware for the Ibrox club this season is the William Hill Scottish Cup.

This afternoon they visit Aberdeen in a quarter-final tie and it has the makings of an absolute cracker.

Durrant said: “The games against Aberdeen are never short of incident, and they provide plenty of talking points. I expect this game to be no different.

“Derek McInnes will have his players fired up. They beat Rangers in the Betfred Cup semi-final back in October and he will urge his players to repeat that.

“However, Rangers go into the game with no fear, and on the back of three impressive results, with 14 goals scored and none conceded.

“Naturally, Alfredo Morelos will be key for them and he has enjoyed scoring goals against Aberdeen.

“His two up there recently were right out of the top drawer.

“But he also has to curb his fiery temper and stay on the field for 90 minutes. They do not need him getting another red card.

“At the other end, they have Allan McGregor back in goal, and I know from first-hand experience that he is a brilliant No.1 and has the ability to go there and keep another clean sheet.

“It will be a hotly-contested game, but I think Rangers will win and book their place in the semi-final draw on Monday night.”