Graeme Souness has admitted that he made a mistake by not bringing a Leeds United legend to Ibrox when he was Rangers manager.

While he did guide the team to three top flight titles, there were things that he got wrong in the years he spent as player-manager at the Light Blues.

Back in the day, managers used to scout players in person, and he has shared one such story towards the end of a season.

Graeme Souness reveals how he nearly signed Gary McAllister at Rangers

While searching for a midfield player after joining Rangers, Graeme Souness made a late-season trip to watch Gary McAllister in action for Leicester City. On a dry pitch where most players struggled to keep hold of the ball, one midfielder stood out by controlling the game with ease.

Impressed by what he saw of the former Leeds United and Liverpool midfielder, Souness still held back over doubts about whether the player could handle the full-on physical demands of Scottish football at the time. Years later, he told McAllister how he nearly signed him and that he had been wrong.

Speaking on Graeme Souness Tackles, the former Gers boss said: “Gary, I’ve got to tell you this. I joined Rangers and I was looking for a midfield player. I went to Swindon, whatever that stadium is called these days, to watch you play against Swindon for Leicester and you were outstanding.

“It was end of the season. The pitch was dry. It was bobbling all over the place. Everyone was losing possession of the ball except you. And I thought, boy, he can play. And the only thing, the doubt I had in my mind was the game in Scotland at that time, where it was full-on in terms of the physical aspect. I just wondered about that with you.

“But with you, I got it wrong. I made a mistake. I should have signed you and you would have been fabulous for us at that time and I know you’re a blue nose.”