Ipswich Town new arrival Joe Garner has admitted he could not turn down the opportunity to seal a move from Rangers.
The Scottish giants confirmed on their official website and Twitter account less than a fortnight ago that the 29-year-old attacker had quit Ibrox after just a one-year affiliation with the club.
#RangersFC can today confirm that Joe Garner has left the club to join Ipswich Town (@Official_ITFC): https://t.co/4rr1MuXZvQ pic.twitter.com/XCRzEk9p3v
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 16, 2017
Garner managed 10 goals from 37 appearances in all competitions during his debut season in Scotland, but fell out-of-favour with manager Pedro Caixinha at the end of the season.
The English striker is one of the first of a host of senior stars to be sacrificed this summer, as Caixinha looks to overhaul his first-team squad at Ibrox.
Garner’s departure comes after Rangers added as many as eight new additions to their ranks, including two attacking players in Alfredo Morelos and Eduardo Herrera.
But speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, Garner has hinted that he was put-off by the arrival of Rangers’ new recruits, when reflecting on his decision to join Ipswich earlier this month.
He said: “I could have stayed at Rangers but a lot of new staff came in, with a lot of new foreign players from Mexico and Portugal, and once I heard of the opportunity here, I could not turn it down.
“I spoke to a few clubs, but once I spoke to the gaffer, this is where I wanted to come. I have played against his teams before and I know how he sets up and works.”
The former Preston North End goalscorer returns to the Championship scene having held discussions with a number of clubs, instead choosing to settle for a move to Mick McCarthy’s side.
Garner has scored 22 goals and supplied 12 assists from 133 appearances in England’s second-tier, having also featured in the competition for Nottingham Forest and Watford.