Few have held the Old Firm feeling in a tighter embrace than Craig Moore. There’s a long list of former Celtic strikers with no fond memories of some tasty tussles with the rugged Rangers centre-back.

So it comes as something of a surprise to hear Moore, who had two spells at Ibrox totalling ten years, venture the opinion that his old team might have an unhealthy fixation with the famous fixture.

‘When you’re not winning the league or not winning the other trophies often enough, and your main rival is doing exactly that, I think sometimes you can get bogged down in that battle to be the best in Glasgow, the best in Scotland. That’s based on one game, one fixture instead of three years, five years, seven years, longer-term thinking.

Liam Scales and Hamza Igamane battle during January’s Old Firm fixture

Former Rangers defender Craig Moore at Ibrox for the loss to Motherwell earlier this month 

The 52-times capped Australian international defender has been back in Scotland for the last four years working as a football agent. He was linked with a return to Rangers as sporting director two seasons ago. That proved to be pure speculation but Moore retains a real passion for his old club and reckons they need to look beyond their city rivalry if they’re to make serious progress.

“I believe so and that will divide opinion. I think you’ve got to look short, mid, long-term. If you’re just chasing the next game against your big rivals you’re unable to grow. Especially when you’re the club that, at the moment, is doing the chasing. You’ve got to have a stronger foundation, a stronger plan, a vision.

“We want to be developing our own players who are then able to transition into the first team. You’ve got to be able to execute properly on a player trading model that’s been spoken about for a long, long time. That needs to be better.

“Recruitment is tough, it’s really tough. You’ve got to get it right but, financially, you can’t compete with the English Premier League or any of the other big five European leagues. The money is different and you have to look at other markets. What that looks like in terms of the Rangers scouting system at the minute I don’t know but I think that’s where real improvements can be made.”

For all their trials and tribulations in domestic football and all trophy chances wiped out six weeks into 2025, Rangers continue to impress in Europe. Thursday night’s shootout win against Fenerbahce at Ibrox took them to the Europa quarter finals and Moore insists that turns a forgettable season into a successful one.

Despite their domestic struggles, Rangers have thrived in European competition this season

“Based on everything that’s gone on at the football club, I think it’s been a very good season. There are so many things which have gone wrong. Injuries, changes behind the scenes, a big change in the football department. So, to be in the last eight of the Europa League and to have performed consistently well all through the European campaign is a massive achievement and that’s obviously a compliment to Philippe Clement and the contribution he made before he was sacked as manager.

“The biggest issue this season has been inconsistency. Players have struggled with confidence at times and, when you were hoping they would stand up, maybe they’ve wobbled a little bit and there have been too many who’ve wobbled at the same time.

“I know I might sound like I’m contradicting myself here but I agree with those who say the league’s the most important thing. There’s loads of people who’re disappointed the league’s over. It was over a long time ago in my opinion, at the turn of the year I would say. That’s disappointing.

“But there are other things to play for in a football season and, therefore, what’s been achieved in Europe does make going into the back end of the season a little bit more pleasing on the eye, so to speak. You’re in the quarter finals and there’s still a chance to finish the domestic season, in terms of your league games, as strong as you possibly can.

Australian defender Craig Moore had two spells at Rangers in his playing career

“It’s a difficult one because your bread and butter is the domestic league. That’s been a disaster. The cup competitions have been a disaster. But we’ve done well in Europe. What Rangers will be looking at doing now is coming back stronger next season and consistently winning trophies again. That’s the challenge.”

The upcoming 49ers takeover will be timely. Moore sees a big opportunity for Rangers to right the wrongs at the club which have hampered any prospect of progress.

“The club was crying out for investment, serious investment, and I think this was too good an opportunity to walk away from. A lot of the people who’ve been involved at Rangers over the years, shareholders and investors, all wanted what was best for the football club and they all played an important role. But I think now is the time for change and for the club to find its feet again and start to motor forward.

“New money will be part of it. That doesn’t mean wealthy owners coming in and throwing fortunes at everything. We know that’s not possible due to regulations anyway. But it offers the opportunity to put the right structure in place and, while I’m not saying things haven’t been done properly, this is a big chance to put the right procedures and processes in place which make sure the club operates at a much better level.

“What everyone can easily see, week to week, is what’s right and wrong with the team. The identification of players, recruitment. I think you’ve got to get it right more often than not and, let’s be honest, that’s not been working well enough in terms of players coming and going.

Moore believes Barry Ferguson would be perfect in a sporting director role at Rangers

‘Business-wise I’m talking about the player trading model. There were those five players who left for not much more than £800,000. In terms of strategy, planning, executing, these are obviously areas that have to be improved upon to make it a viable business as well as a fantastic football club.”

Moore is biased when the chat comes round to interim manager Barry Ferguson, his pal for 30 years, but believes the club have to hold on to him even if the new owners have someone else in mind for the permanent position.

“Barry, for me, if he wants, has already created a job for himself at Rangers. There’s been talk about a sporting director role coming up. That’s about network, about understanding the club, understanding the type of players required to be successful. He ticks a few boxes.

‘I’m not sure what’s happening around the academy director space. He’d be excellent for that. People will say he’s got no experience. Well how do you get experience? That baffles me when people put experience before knowledge. He’s definitely created a situation which I think is a win-win for both parties. There’s a role for him at Rangers, absolutely. They’d be mad not to keep him involved.”