Ask any Rangers supporter to name the players at Ibrox for their nine-in-a-row success and very quickly a host of legendary names will spring to mind.

Mo Johnston, Ian Durrant, Chris Woods, Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven, Terry Butcher, Richard Gough and Ally McCoist would likely be mentioned.

However, it'd perhaps take an anorak supporter to mention current Valur Reykjavik manager Arnar Gretarsson, who shared a dressing room with the Ibrox legends and was one of just two foreign players at the club.

The Icelandic manager, 52, spent one year in Glasgow on loan to Rangers from Breidablik but failed to make a single appearance before cutting his initial two-year switch short over a legal dispute.

Reflecting on his spell at Rangers after Valur's draw with St Mirren in Conference League qualifying, Gretarsson explained: “I had a fantastic experience at Rangers. When I went over they had just signed Maurice Johnston, Graeme Souness was the manager and Walter Smith was his assistant.

“At the time they only had two foreign players. I was one of them and the Israeli goalkeeper Bonni Ginzburg arrived around the same time.

“But they had four England internationalists in the team – just think about that, can you ever imagine that again at Rangers or Celtic?

“They were a massive club, right up with Liverpool and Manchester United.

“We had Ian Durrant, Chris Woods, Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven, Terry Butcher, great players like that. My coaches in the reserves were Jimmy Nicholl and John McGregor, both of them great guys. Then Richard Gough arrived as captain. Plus, of course, we had Alistair McCoist."

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Gretarsson's Rangers spell has been relegated to simply a mention on his Wikipedia page - and any information on the reason for his departure is far more scarce. 

However, the former central midfielder - who won 71 caps for his country - has revealed an Icelandic FA contract demand effectively ended his career at Rangers.

His loan deal, with a view to a permanent move to Scotland, was scuppered by chiefs of the Icelandic national team who drew up a contract for clubs to sign to allow players to leave on international duty.

At that point, it was not a requirement for players to be released by club sides in order to represent their national team. To combat that, the Iceland FA ordered clubs to sign contracts agreeing to allow players to leave for national team fixtures or face a hefty financial penalty.

Understandably, Rangers directors refused to sign the contract on advice from their lawyers. But the fact Stuttgart did agree to the terms, for Asgeir Sigurvinsson, left Gretarsson in a difficult spot.

Being just 17, Gretarsson attempted to resolve the issue by requesting he return to Iceland in order that the impasse be resolved. He was unaware it would spell the end of his time as a Rangers player, though, with a replacement quickly found in Alexei Mikhailichenko.

“It was such a silly situation," said Gretarsson over his Rangers exit. "I signed for two years, but in the first year there was a problem with the Icelandic FA.

“Back then, there were no rules over availability of players for international windows. If a club didn’t want you to go, you didn’t go.

“So Iceland drew up a contract for overseas clubs where our players were based that said if we weren’t released, there would be a penalty of £200,000 or that kind of amount.

“Rangers looked at the contract and their lawyers said they weren’t signing. They said they’d had a lot of crazy guys who they released for internationals, but they went off to Benidorm or wherever instead, so they weren’t paying £200,000 for something like that.

“We had a guy playing in Stuttgart at the time and they signed the contract, so the Icelandic FA went back to Rangers and told them this, but they still said no.

“So I asked Walter Smith if I could go back to Iceland until it was sorted, not realising it would mean I was finished. I went back, they signed Alexei Mikhailichenko for £2million from Sampdoria and that was that.

“Do I regret it? No. I was young, maybe a bit silly, maybe I should have been more patient.

“Who knows how it would have turned out had I done things differently. But life works out the way it works out.”

Gretarsson did return to Scotland to go through his UEFA Pro Licence and remains in contact with David Moyes senior, who he is hopeful to meet ahead of the second leg against St Mirren in Paisley this Thursday.

“I went back to Scotland years later to do my UEFA Pro licence, so I love the place and have many friends there," he added.

“When I was at Rangers I lived with David Moyes senior and I’m hoping he’s going to come to the game at Paisley. His son Kenny spoke to me after we qualified to play St Mirren and said they’d love to be there, so hopefully they’ll also come to our team hotel for a chat.

“David is in his 80s now, but he’s still in great form.”