Ridvan Yilmaz’s time at Rangers has officially come to an end, with the left-back sealing a £2 million return to Besiktas, the club where he started his career and joined Rangers from.
His departure closes the chapter on what many will regard as an underwhelming spell in Glasgow, one that promised far more than it ultimately delivered, the epitome of Ross Wilson’s Ibrox tenure.
Signed in the summer of 2022 for around £5 million, Yilmaz arrived as a highly rated young full-back, a Turkish international tipped for big things. Yet, from the very beginning, his Rangers career never quite caught fire. Injuries, inconsistency, and competition for places limited his impact, and he struggled to establish himself as a reliable first-choice option.
While flashes of ability were there, the odd burst forward, a neat delivery, or a tidy defensive display, sometimes even from right back, they came too sporadically to justify the fee or the hype.
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Now, as he heads back to Istanbul, Yilmaz has left a farewell message to the Ibrox support.
On social media he wrote: “Dear Rangers family, thank you so much for all the support during my 3 years at the club.
“I will always remember you with great affection. You truly deserve even more than what you’ve achieved, and I wish you nothing but success.”
It is a respectful goodbye, and one that reflects the professionalism he showed even during difficult times.
But the reality is that Yilmaz’s Rangers journey will be remembered as a flop – a player who never lived up to the billing. For the club, it represents a financial hit and a lesson learned; for the player, a chance to rebuild his career back home.