ALLAN McGREGOR'S route to a first-team Rangers regular was a protracted one.
ALLAN McGREGOR'S route to a first-team Rangers regular was a protracted one.
The keeper only established himself as first-choice keeper in season 2006/07 - after eight years at the club.
Loan spells with St Johnstone and Dunfermline in the 04/05 and 05/06 seasons respectively saw McGregor gather valuable first-team experience and he returned to Ibrox to become No.1.
He enjoyed a hugely impressive season in 2007/08 that saw him save twice in a League Cup penalty shoot-out to help him earn his first medal as No.1.
However, an injury sustained at Celtic Park ruled him out of the Uefa Cup Final defeat by Zenit St Petersburg.
He was rewarded for a fantastic season when he signed a new five-year deal with the club in the summer of 2008.
He has played 139 times for the club and has won two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.
FACT-FILE:
1982: Born January 31 in Edinburgh.
1998: Signs for Rangers.
2002 February: Bounced back after a serious wrist injury and a broken hand kept him sidelined for a year to make his first-team debut as a 70th-minute replacement for Stefan Klos in a Scottish Cup win over Forfar.
April: Handed his first Rangers start in a 2-0 Scottish Premier League victory over Aberdeen.
2004 August: After making six Rangers appearances in the two seasons following his debut, he was loaned to St Johnstone.
December: Named Scottish Football League player of the month after keeping clean sheets in his final six games for Saints.
2005 September: After making two appearances during Rangers' treble-winning season, McGregor is loaned to fellow SPL side Dunfermline.
2006 March: Plays in Dunfermline's 3-0 League Cup Final defeat by Celtic.
August: New Rangers boss Paul Le Guen gives McGregor a start in a 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock and he soon replaces Lionel Letizi as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.
2007 August: Makes his Scotland debut in a 1-0 away victory over Austria, being replaced by Craig Gordon early in the second half.
2008 March: Saves shoot-out penalties from David Robertson and Lee Wilkie to help Rangers clinch League Cup victory over Dundee United.
April: After helping Rangers reach the Uefa Cup semi-finals by keeping two clean sheets against Sporting Lisbon, McGregor suffers an ankle injury in a 2-1 defeat by Celtic. The blow keeps him out of the Uefa Cup and Scottish Cup Finals and the title run-in.
June: Rewarded for an impressive season with a five-year contract.
August: After starting the season as Rangers No.1, half-time substitute McGregor saves a penalty during Scotland's goal-less draw with Northern Ireland.
September: Dropped for Neil Alexander for Rangers' home match with Motherwell. The move came after a succession of stories surrounding his private life but manager Walter Smith admitted he rushed McGregor back too quickly from injury.
October: After three matches out, McGregor returns for a 1-0 defeat by St Mirren and retains his place.
November: Plays his first full game for Scotland in a 1-0 friendly loss to Argentina.
2009 March: Makes his first competitive appearance for Scotland but is criticised for being blocked on his line as Robin van Persie heads home Holland's second goal in a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win.
April 1: Dropped for the World Cup qualifier against Iceland following a breach of discipline after he and skipper Barry Ferguson are involved in a drinking session at the team hotel.
April 3: McGregor and Ferguson are sent home from training at Rangers after being photographed appearing to flick the V' sign while sitting on the bench during Scotland's win over Iceland.
