ALEX MacDONALD has expressed hope fellow Barcelona Bear Sandy Jardine can take up an official role at Rangers again in the future.

MacDonald was back at Ibrox yesterday to receive a replica of the 1972 European Cup-Winners' Cup medal he had stolen on holiday in Spain in the summer.

And he revealed that former Light Blues team-mate Jardine had, despite recovering from cancer, been instrumental in it being made.

Doddie played alongside his close friend at both Rangers and Hearts and the pair were co-managers during their time together at Tynecastle.

He believes the Ibrox club would benefit from having Jardine, who worked behind the scenes before taking ill in 2012, back involved.

"He's some man," said MacDonald. "I came to see him a couple of years ago and the girl at reception asked who it was to see him. I said: 'I slept with him for 20 years!'

"We've had a long relationship - 12 years here and eight years at Tynecastle. He's one of the best.

"If I get asked questions in the dressing room by young kids I'd send them over to Sandy.

"He's getting back to fitness and that's the most important thing."

He added: "You need a Sandy Jardine. He's one of the ones that's in touch with everybody.

"It's important to have someone like him at a club, big time.

"You get players like myself and you're sometimes feart to ask for things because you don't want to embarrass anybody. So I'd go to Sandy.

"Other players would do it. All the ex-players would go through Sandy.

"He's not going to please everyone all the time but he was the man."

MacDonald also feels having a vastly-experienced former player like Jardine at Rangers would be helpful to the current players.

He said: "Sandy will maybe see things, without going over the top, and say: 'Do it this way or that way.'

"I'm not talking football-wise, I'm talking about how they conduct themselves, how they sit in a restaurant or something like that.

"I think people here will recognise how much he would help the club eventually.

"They're maybe afraid to do it just now because of his illness, because getting his health back is the most important thing."