I'm thousands of miles away from Ibrox but Rangers will always be my nearest and dearest

Former Light Blues favourite Sasa will never forget his glory days in Glasgow and influence of legendary boss Smith

- EWING GRAHAME

SASA PAPAC might live 2000 miles away but distance has only made his heart grow fonder. 

And he never passes up the chance to pull the Rangers jersey over his head despite leaving more than a decade ago.

The former left-back was a hugely-popular figure in Walter Smith’s team that reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 and will be a target for autograph hunters who flock to Bury ’s Gigg Lane on Saturday as a Rangers Select take on a team of former English pros based in the North West in aid of the Lee Rigby Memorial Foundation.

Now living in Mostar with his wife and four children, the 43-year-old can’t wait for a reunion with many of the friends for life he made in his six years at Ibrox and Papac is convinced that the new generation of Rangers players being brought to the club by Michael Beale will also quickly pick up on the standards demanded of anyone wearing that blue shirt.

The former Bosnia international told Record Sport: “I might be a couple of thousand miles away but I live in a household where we still have a great love for Rangers.

“Every time there is a Rangers game on TV we watch hoping for three points. Every day I keep up to date with what’s happening at Ibrox. That news is still very important to me.

“I like to know what’s going on because the six years I spent at Ibrox were the best and most fulfilling of my career.