Connor Goldson: Rangers paid for me to leave the club

Connor Goldson has revealed Rangers paid for him to leave the club in 2024.

The former Ibrox centre-back left for Cypriot side Aris Limassol after six years in Glasgow.

The 33-year-old, who won three major honours during his time at Ibrox, admitted he wanted to stay with two years remaining on his deal, but the club were keen to offload the higher earners.

“I think it comes from above,” he told Open Goal. “He [Philippe Clement] pulled me into the office and said the club say my contract was too high and they want me to leave.

“And I was like, ‘Well, I’m not leaving.’ I feel like I earned the contract for what I’ve given to you. And from what I’ve given you for six years. I killed myself to give you everything I’ve got. You can’t now come back to me and go, ‘Ah, sorry, we don’t want it.’”

“I couldn’t believe it, and I probably should never ever say this, but the contract I was getting in Cyprus, the owner was like, ‘I’m going to need money off Rangers.’

“So Rangers paid for me to leave. I know that’s going to be mental. But Rangers paid half of my last year’s contract here for me to leave. So then you’re like, ‘They want me to leave.’ So I was like, ‘What can I do?’”

Goldson, who signed for the club after the arrival of Steven Gerrard, won the Scottish Premiership in 2021, as well as the Scottish Cup in 2022 and the League Cup in 2024.