Sitting across from a Rangers manager after a defeat can be a dicey, fraught business.

Ask any veteran hack about war stories of the past and most are more than happy to detail the horrors of yesteryear. If more than one is in attendance it provokes a scene akin to the famous moment in Jaws when a trio of memorable characters sent to capture the titular killer shark compare their scars over shots of bourbon.

From Willie Waddell and Jock Wallace to Graeme Souness and Walter Smith, the manager's office at Ibrox has rarely been filled by shrinking violets. Nor placid temperaments.

More recently, Steven Gerrard was a figure to be mindful of. Questions had to be carefully thought out because anything ill-considered would likely provoke a strong reaction and find your moment of misfortune going viral once said exchange aired on the club's Youtube channel.

The former England captain had more media experience to draw on than almost anyone who's ever walked up the marble staircase given his global profile in a 24-hour news age. It had undoubtedly shaped in him a sense of stepping into a gladiatorial arena with the media. A quietly cutting manner didn't suffer fools and while he was admired for his steely character and what he achieved at Ibrox, few I've spoken to warmed to him personally.

The same can't be said of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Even at times of great tension and difficulty, he was courteous and engaging. With fan media representation in the press room, the Dutchman was given a rigorous examination this season and he stood up to the test. When he fired back in response to something he disagreed with, he was rarely chippy or dismissive, more inquisitive to drill down into the heart of the question. You could slightly fluff the wording of your question, as I did on one occasion, and he'd answer in the spirit it was intended rather than highlight your mistake for a cheap laugh. 

The Rangers Review often had detailed tactical queries and while Gerrard gave little away on that front and sometimes the impression he'd rather not delve into tactics too readily, Van Bronckhorst was always open to discussing his style of play and in these questions he often gave his most revealing and interesting answers. Media trained to a high level, if you fired tabloid-style inquiries designed to create a headline, he'd bat them away with bland, colourless responses. But delve a little deeper, and you were often rewarded.

In short, he was a good man who handled a very demanding role with grace and poise. That's why it was no surprise to see a message drop on Instagram today that went down well with fans.

He said: "The opportunity to manage an institution like Rangers FC is a privilege which very few are afforded. As a former player, I understood the responsibility and magnitude of the task.

"My backroom team and I worked with energy, passion and were driven with a belief that we could achieve amazing things. We treated our roles with respect, optimism and determination.

"We experienced some incredible highs, especially on our European journey to Seville. Winning the Scottish Cup for the first time in over a decade and qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League is something I am very proud of. The passion of our support drove us on to achieve those wonderful memories. For that, I am forever grateful to every single one of you who travelled near and far, spent your hard-earned money, and never gave up supporting our team."

He also touched on a difficult season this term and acknowledged domestic results were what have left him out of a job.

"This season, like every year at Rangers, the first priority is domestic success. I understand the hurt when wins become draws, and worse, when we experience defeat. That isn’t acceptable at a club of Rangers standing, no one understood that and felt that more than I did. I faced unique challenges and some very difficult circumstances to operate in."

That last line is perhaps the only one that hints to the issues that cost him the job. Injuries, the loss of irreplaceable stars, especially in the case of his protege Calvin 'cheat code' Bassey, and a failure to focus transfer spending on energetic central midfielders will surely be revealed in the years ahead as the detail behind this teasing sentence.

That's for another time. Hopefully in the years to come, as the pain washes away, it's the memories from the road to Seville that linger when Van Bronckhorst is mentioned. His tactical victories on those storied nights were crucial and his work in leading a Scottish club to such lofty heights truly remarkable.

And he certainly isn't going to forget, as his last line shows.

"Rangers FC will always be in my heart and I wish the club all the success for the future. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."

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