Glasgow Rangers sold two of their finest players from last season during the summer transfer window for massive profit, with Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) departing Ibrox for pastures new.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, however, as Alex McLeish faced a similar conundrum way back in the summer of 2003.

He had led the Light Blues to the treble in 2002/2003 and hopes were high for the following campaign. The Ibrox side were facing a precarious financial situation though and this led to McLeish selling a few of his standout performers from that extraordinary season.

The one that hurt the supporters the most was the sale of club captain Barry Ferguson, who joined Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £7.5m and considering he came into the side through the club’s academy, it represented a massive profit for the Gers.

The midfielder had scored 16 league goals as he skippered his boyhood team to their 50^th championship and many couldn’t fathom a Rangers side without him in the engine room.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that the true nature of the Glasgow side's financial situation came to light, with administration the final outcome.

Ferguson – who also went on to win 46 caps for Scotland – was a natural winner and was a mainstay in the midfield for six years, winning nine major honours before his move to the Premier League.

Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews dubbed Ferguson as a “leader” and the 44-year-old will certainly go down as one of the finest-ever captains in the club’s illustrious history.

Although it didn’t go to plan for the player at Blackburn, a serious injury sustained in his first season reduced his game time, McLeish saw an opportunity to reunite with the Scot, resigning him in January 2005.

It proved to be an inspired move, with Rangers winning a further six major honours during his second spell in Glasgow, and although he was missed during his 18-month period down south, McLeish made a solid profit on the former academy graduate.