Rangers legend and nine-in-a-row winning skipper Richard Gough has revealed he has yet to receive a reply from chairman Andrew Cavenagh after offering his assistance to Danny Röhl and the current first-team squad.
This is a silence the former captain believes reflects deeper issues inside the club.
Gough, one of the most iconic defenders in Rangers history and a stalwart of the backline for over a decade, disclosed that he approached the hierarchy with a proposal to come into training and work specifically with the defensive unit as Röhl continues reshaping the team.
Rangers have struggled defensively this year – only recently ending a run of 24 away matches without a clean sheet and at present are without first-choice defenders John Souttar and Derek Cornelius due to injuries.
However, his offer has gone unanswered, leaving the 63-year-old both disappointed and increasingly concerned about the direction of the club.
Speaking candidly, Gough admitted he has long avoided public criticism of Rangers but feels the situation has reached a point where he must speak out.
He said: “We were always taught you never criticise Rangers Football Club if you’ve played for them.
“But it’s come to the point where I’m thinking, they need a shot across the bows.”
For a man who lifted trophies, set standards and captained some of the club’s greatest ever sides, the lack of acknowledgement from the chairman has stung.
Gough is not expecting a job, nor attempting to undermine Röhl; rather, he believes former players with elite defensive experience can offer valuable insight at a time when Rangers have struggled with organisation, leadership and defensive consistency.
Those close to Gough insist his offer was made in good faith and with the club’s best interests at heart.
His view is simple: Rangers should be open to utilising the knowledge of those who know the demands of the shirt better than anyone.
Gough has been out of coaching since leaving his role as Livingston manager in 2005 and has worked as a global ambassador for Rangers since 2015.
In that context, the absence of even a courtesy reply from Cavenagh feels, to many supporters, both surprising and disrespectful from a board with a real lack of credit left in the bank.
The silence from the chairman leaves a lingering question: If a figure of Richard Gough’s calibre can’t even get a reply, what does that say about Rangers relationship with its own legends?
For now, Gough remains willing to help - but he has made his feelings clear. And when a captain who once symbolised the standards of Rangers feels forced to issue a warning, the club would be wise to listen.