Jimmy Nicholl has recalled the moment he was booed for bringing on defender Bruno Alves as his Rangers side were 3-0 down at Hibs during an infamous 5-5 draw - only for the Portuguese legend to score the leveller.

Neil Lennon's rampant Hibs found themselves cruising at Easter Road against Nicholl and Jonatan Johansson's Rangers team after the pair took over from Graeme Murty with three games to go.

Early goals from Flo Kamberi, Scott Allan and Jamie Maclaren had put Hibs in control when Nicholl feared his Light Blues could be embarrassed at half-time if they didn't shore up the backline.

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That forced him to ask Alves to warm up and sparked furious boos from the away fans with their side seemingly out of the game and worried about a going over.

Nicholl's number two Johansson couldn't even believe the decision to bring on a defender.

But the Northern Irishman, 62, stuck to his guns despite the furore and anger coming from the stands.

Speaking to Open Goal, Nicholl recalled: "[Rangers] asked me and JJ to take over with three games to go and I said 'I'll do it, but I'll need to ask Graeme first', and he said 'do it'.

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"We've beaten Kilmarnock and went to Aberdeen and drew, then my last game was Hibs at Easter Road and we're 3-0 down after 27 minutes and I'm bringing on Bruno Alves!

"Of all the experiences I've had in football I never thought I'd experience that.

"We were 3-0 down after 27 minutes and all the Rangers supporters were down there and I just looked round and said 'this is going to be six before half-time. 

"'At 3-0 we've still got a chance, I better bring on a centre-half. JJ, get Bruno warmed up'.

"He said 'you're joking, he's a centre-half and we're 3-0 down'. I said 'it'll be six if we don't get him on, get him on'.

"He gets out the dugout and runs down towards the Rangers supporters and I can hear them booing for bringing on a centre-half.

"Half-way between Bruno coming from the corner to the halfway line we scored, for 3-1. He gets his gear off and JJ goes 'are we still doing this?'

"'We're still doing it, get him on'. Bruno's getting his gear off, 3-2.

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"So now I've got Jimmy Bell, wee Mourinho, saying 'you can't do it now, we're in the game', but he's going on.

"I can hear them all booing, thinking 'what the hell is he doing?' Bruno comes on and we got a free-kick 30 yards from goal.

"He takes it and scores. I'm the best manager ever, Mourinho, Fergie all wrapped in one."

Nicholl admits he was taken aback by the craziness of that May afternoon when James Tavernier, Jordan Rossiter, Alves, Jason Holt and Josh Windass all scored for Gers.

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But he will always be grateful to Stewart Robertson and Mark Allen for giving him the opportunity to manage Rangers.

He added: "At half-time, we're thinking 'lads, we're going to win this because their defence is worse than ours, we'll be alright'.

"We go 4-3, 5-3 up and then 5-4, 5-5 and wee Neil's doing the aeroplane.

"We were undefeated, then there was a meeting the next day about a new manager coming in. I said thanks for the opportunity and that was it."