HIS body was at McDiarmid Park yet his mind was at Ibrox. It may have taken until deadline day for Michael O’Halloran to officially become a Rangers player, but the winger had already mentally made the move several weeks ago.

As the clock ticked down towards the end of the window, Gers fans feared they would miss out on a player boss Mark Warburton had put at the top of his shopping list this month.

Rangers saw two bids for O’Halloran rejected as St Johnstone stood firm but Warburton finally got his man yesterday, the terms agreed, medical passed and deal signed with plenty of time to spare.

The 25-year-old was left out of the Saints side that drew with Hamilton Accies last month as speculation over a potential Ibrox switch grew. He was, according to boss Tommy Wright, not ‘mentally right’ to take to the field.

Since then, he has played against Celtic and Hibernian, with Saturday’s League Cup semi-final loss at Tynecastle proving to be his final game for the Saints.

In the end, he got his wish and got his move. Now O’Halloran is preparing for the next chapter of his career at Ibrox.

“I’m absolutely delighted it has gone through,” he said.

“I first heard about it early in January, so I’m pleased I’ve finally got here.

“It always crosses your mind that it might not happen. But I just spoke to my representatives and I was always confident. They assured me it could still happen.

“The last day of the window is always hectic. I was sitting this morning waiting for the call and happily it came through.

“I watch deadline day on Sky Sports every time it comes around and always think it’s exciting stuff.

“But it’s not until you are part of the situation yourself that you realise how stressful it actually is and what the players involved go through. I know now! It’s not that easy.

“I more or less thought the deal was going to be done over the weekend of that game against Hamilton when Tommy decided to leave me out of the team.

“But it obviously took a bit more time, so I had to get ready to play for St Johnstone again, including the League Cup semi-final.

“You have to be prepared, because anything can happen in these situations. It has definitely been quite stressful.

“I could understand why he left me out of the Hamilton game. I think he thought the deal was going to go through then as well.

“He was looking after things in what he felt was the best way for the team and for me. He has been great at managing the situation.

“I totally understood it. He spoke to me and told me I was back in the team the following week, which I understood as well.”

Having finally got his dream switch to Rangers, O’Halloran will now look to make an even greater impact at Ibrox than he did at McDiarmid Park.

The forward became a key part of Wright’s Perth plans as he helped the Saints lift the Scottish Cup and play in European competition. Silverware and continental action are very much on his agenda in the coming years after putting pen-to-paper on a deal until the summer of 2020.

The Light Blue legions have already seen at close hand what their latest recruit can do, with O’Halloran’s match winning performance against Warburton’s side earlier this season undoubtedly the showing that highlighted his talents to the Ibrox audience.

A quick, skilful and direct forward who can play wide or through the middle, the former Scotland youth international is the kind of player Gers fans have come to expect seeing in action since Warburton took over in the summer.

And O’Halloran is confident he can fit right into the free-flowing forward line as he prepares for a potential debut against Raith Rovers this evening.

O’Halloran said: “We did well as a team that night (in the League Cup). Everything fell into place. Rangers were flying at the time.

“I was really pleased with my own performance but I didn’t really think about it in terms of impressing Rangers. You hear stories linking you with the club, but that’s about it.

“Being at Rangers is only going to help me, with the infrastructure and facilities here, along with the management team.

“The way they want to play suits my style and I think I will thrive on it and become a better player. I’m looking forward to progressing as a Rangers player.

“The manager didn’t really have to say much to me. It’s Glasgow Rangers, isn’t it? There are almost 50,000 at Ibrox every second week.”

Before O’Halloran can look to take to the field at Stark’s Park tonight, he will return to Perth to collect his belongings this morning and say farewell to the Saints.

But the former Bolton kid is keen to get down to business as he looks to help Warburton’s side to the Championship title and cup success this season.

He said: “That (the medical) was a piece of cake. It’s a long process, I was at Murray Park from 1pm and it was a long day.

“But I’m pretty fit and don’t have any past injuries. I was always confident.

“I’ll be happy to fit in and play my part. It’s a team game.

“I know Danny Wilson from the Scotland youth and under-21 squads. I didn’t really need to speak to him beforehand.

“I was already sold on the place. I was totally focussed on coming here.

“I’m planning to go to St Johnstone to get my boots [this] morning. I can’t thank the manager and staff enough. I will take them in a wee something!

“It’s been a great two years since I came back up the road, winning a trophy and playing European football.”