Advocaat in Gers revelation

Dutchman almost made Ibrox return

Last updated: 9th May 2008

Zenit St Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat

Advocaat: Almost returned to Rangers

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Dick Advocaat has revealed he was close to making a dramatic return to Rangers.

The Dutchman, who was manager at Ibrox between 1998 and 2001, held talks with chairman Sir David Murray about replacing his own successor Alex McLeish as interim boss before the arrival of Paul Le Guen.

Advocaat, who will come up against Rangers in the Uefa Cup final with his Zenit St Petersburg side claims he came close to making a shock return to Glasgow.

"There was a period when there was something wrong at Rangers, when things were not going the right way at the club," Advocaat told the Daily Record.

"There were some rumours about me coming back then and I was not against it. But they decided to take another road.

"So many things were happening and I was thinking, 'Well, why not?' It was four years, five years since I had been at Ibrox.

"I spoke to David. He phoned me - or maybe I phoned him. But they took another decision. They didn't take me.

"It was only going to be for an interim period. That was nearly four years ago.

"And happily for me, it didn't work out because then I got the job with South Korea which was an incredible experience."