John Souttar was introduced to the world on 25th of September 1996, a Scottish gift to the beautiful game, one that is currently unwrapped and displayed predominantly as the defender for Rangers, however controversial that might sound. The chap's towering stature, lashed with a height of 6ft 2in (1.88m for the metrically inclined), and weighing a modest 11st 11lb (that's 75kg for you metric aficionados) adds to his defensive Vesuvius on the pitch. Decked out in the number 5 jersey, Souttar has also graced the international scene having plied his trade for Scotland's national team.
Souttar's football journey was moulded first in Dundee United back in July 2012, starting off as a raw trainee in the Premiership era, truly nostalgic. Moving up the ranks like a clandestine submarine, Souttar registered eight first team appearances in his debut season 2012-2013 that metamorphosed to 22 appearances and a solitary goal in the 2013-2014 season. There is something magical about your first goal, aye? His sprouting years saw him make 13 and 20 appearances in the subsequent seasons at Dundee United.
His career path then meandered towards Hearts in February 2016, having been auctioned off for a princely sum of £150k. This venture saw him make 130 appearances and score six goals over the span of six seasons. By the football gods' design or some whimsical sport of Fortune, Souttar found himself typing out "Rangers" as his employer in his tax returns from July 2022.
His life at Rangers has been nothing short of industrious; from 12 first team appearances and a goal in his debut season, to prolifically upping the ante with 28 appearances and two goals the following season. The current season has once again been a busy one for our Scottish stalwart having sketched his name on the pitch for 16 matches and netting one in the process.
The beauty of Souttar's career tapestry does not end here. His footprints are visible across the swathes of the League Cup, Scottish Cup, Euro Qualifiers, Europa League, Champions League Qualifiers and the Nations League. His versatility stretched across starts to appearances as a substitute. Elaborate? Aye, but in the tumultuous world of football, it's not a stroll in the park to stitch such a variegated career quilt.
