According to Football Insider, former Scotland international Alan Hutton has revealed he could have re-signed for former club Rangers a few years ago.

What's the story?

Hutton, now 34, is currently without a club having been released by Aston Villa upon their promotion to the Premier League. After turning down several English sides, the marauding full-back is now contemplating retirement, stating that he'd find it difficult to join a Scottish club other than Rangers.

He told Football Insider: "Not so much but I find it tough to go back to Scotland. Rangers is my team, I came through at Rangers and I just think to go anywhere else would be really difficult for me and I don’t think I would want to.

“Maybe a few years ago there was a chance at Rangers but again it’s probably a position that they’re not in a hurry to fill."

Of course, Hutton's regular right-back berth is currently occupied by captain James Tavernier, who ended last season with 17 goals and 20 assists across all competitions. But when asked whether he could rival Tavernier for a place in the side, Hutton cheekily replied: "I don’t see why not, I don’t see why not."

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Would a nostalgic return have been worthwhile?

The Alan Hutton of 2007/8 was the very definition of the modern full-back - aggressive, powerful and forward-thinking. His performances earned him a £9m move to Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League where he would go on to make over 150 appearances with Spurs and Villa.

However, Hutton never quite hit the heights expected in English football. He never made more than 14 appearances in a single Premier League season for Tottenham and registered just seven assists in total from his top flight spells with the Lilywhites and Villa.

While the former Scotland man wasn't too specific about when he could've returned to Ibrox, there's also the small matter of the aforementioned Tavernier. He joined Rangers four years ago and has flourished in Glasgow, earning the captain's armband while contributing to more than one Rangers goal every two games.

For all the nostalgia of having Hutton back at Ibrox, that scenario could well have prevented Tavernier from becoming the crucial creative force he is today, while Rangers could currently be stuck with a 34-year-old full-back rather than a 27-year-old about to enter his prime years.

Maybe it's for the best then that Hutton's homecoming never came off.