Rangers legend Mark Hateley blames board for Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo’s exit

Former AC Milan player and Rangers legend Mark Hateley has blasted Glasgow Rangers’ board for untimely letting go of Nigerian duo of Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo.

Bassey and Aribo were instrumental in Rangers’ triumph in the Scottish Cup, advanced to the Europa League finals, and finish second in the Scottish Premier League, before the former was sold to Ajax FC for a profitable fee of £25 million and the latter to Southampton for a fee in the region of £6 million.

However, the 61-year-old believes Rangers board do not understand when it is wise to part with its players and when best to retain the Nigerians, stressing that the duo could have make a positive difference at the Scottish club.

“I think the board have done remarkably well over the period – but they are custodians of an institution,” Hateley told Scottish Sun.

“When you are in that position, you need to know when you have done your bit, and you can’t take it any further.

“You have to know when the time is right to let others come to the fore and make the club what it wants to be and what it should be. A lot has been made about the money Rangers achieved in selling Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, but if they had been kept for this season, they would be worth even more.

“They were Rangers’ best players, and yes, there was a great profit. But would it not have been more astute to keep these players for the Champions League and then look to sell with their values enhanced?

“For me, that was a pivotal moment in terms of making the team better because I don’t think the team is any stronger now than it was two years ago.”