Enter stage right, Robin Pröpper. Born on the 23rd of September 1993, our man hails from the renowned football producing factory that is the Netherlands. Now aged 31, he's carved out a career as a central defender and is currently strutting his stuff for Rangers - northern neighbours and perpetual thorns in our green and white side.
For those interested in the mundane statistics, he stands at an imposing 6ft 3in (1.92m) and tips the scales at 13st (83kg). Adding to the awe, he dons the number 4 jersey - a number typically reserved for those with a bit more mettle in their character. According to Transfermarkt, he's worth a respectable sum of around £2m, give or take a few 100 quids.
Now let's stroll down memory lane, shall we? Our Pröpper lad began his journey in the humble surroundings of De Graafschap - a team plying their trade in the Eerste Divisie in his native Netherlands. It was here, between the 2012 and 2016 seasons, that he graced the pitch in 109 league matches, achieving a mind-boggling tally of 8 goals during his tenure.
In 2016, bored of life at De Graafschap, he decided to up sticks and transfer his prodigious talents to Heracles Almelo in the Eredivisie - the top tier of Dutch football. Between 2016 and 2021, Mr Pröpper amassed a total of 97 appearances and chipped in with 4 goals from his station in the heart of their defence.
Deja vu struck again in 2021, and he found himself packing up his shin guards once more and heading for FC Twente. A resurgent force in the Eredivisie, Pröpper stayed for 3 seasons, featuring in 95 league matches and even managing 9 goals - perhaps he fancied himself a striker at times.
Finally, our hero found himself crossing borders to Rangers in the Premiership up here in Scotland. Acquired for a reasonable sum of £1.5m in 2024, he has so far made 24 appearances and scored 2 goals in the current 2024 -2025 season. Balancing his duties, Pröpper has also been embroiled in the League Cup, Scottish Cup, Champions League Qualifiers and even the Europa League. How he finds the energy, I'll never know.
However, his footballing odyssey, no matter how impressive, was sadly bereft of a Celtic chapter - a slight we surely won't hold against him.
