Kevin Kyle has admitted that playing for Sevco sickened him so much he decided to quit football.
The former Sunderland and Scotland striker signed a £2,000-a-week deal with the SFL newcomers in the summer of 2012 after being released by Hearts.
St Johnstone, Dundee and Dunfermline offered Kyle training facilities to prove his fitness but the offer of a contract from Ally McCoist was too good to turn down
“I look back and I regret going to Rangers as maybe it was the downfall of my career,” the 19-stone hitman admitted. “I spent six months with Rangers and, within a year of moving to Ayr, I decided to chuck it in as I just lost all interest in it. I’m sure there are a few guys there who are fed up.
“I go back to my situation where I went in there having been injured for 18 months and the wife said to me: ‘what do you expect to get out of Rangers if they offer you a deal?’
“I said about £500-£600 per week, I would be quite happy with that as I had been out of the game and just wanted back in.
“I sat down with the manager and he asked what I was looking for and I just said a crazy figure and I almost got what I wanted.”
Contrary to popular myth Kyle confirms that his negotiations were conduced with £750,000-a-year McCoist.
Thirty-three-year-old Kyle was speaking out about the Ibrox money pit that seems certain to sink Sevco in mid-season.
A £3.13m share issue and two emergency loans totalling £3m have allowed the club to stay in business but it’ll take another cheque from Mickey Ashley to ensure that the December payroll is met.
Kyle signed up at the same time as Franny Sandaza, Emilson Cribari, Seb Fraure and Anestis Argyriou as the club lavished money raised from 35,000 season ticket holders.
“I know some of the figures some of the guys were getting and it was just stupid, it was laughable at times,” he added.
“A few of the guys I used to play with, you’re talking about £300,000 to £400,000 per year playing in the Third Division of Scottish football with money rising depending on appearances and bonuses.”
Since that initial spending spree Sevco have continued to splash the cash with Bilel Moshni, Cameron Bell, Nicholas Law, Stevie Smith, Richard Forster and Jon Daly joining the gravy train in 2013 while Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller, Steve Simonsen and Marius Zaliukas signing last summer.
