Calvin Bassey was in the reserves. His Rangers future was thrown into doubt after he was suspended for breaking rules.
After joining on an unheralded free transfer, the versatile defender was seen as a weak link in the I Rangers side. He is arguably the club's most valuable asset.
In May's heart-wrenching Europa League final defeat, the Nigerian international was described as a "colossus". He had a great performance in the final as Rangers won the Scottish Cup.
Bassey has gone from being a fringe player to becoming a man in demand, as reported by the Scottish Broadcasting Corporation.
Bassey's performance against Eintracht in Sevilla, which put potential suitors on high alert, was one of the highlights of Rangers' run to the final.
He made two incredible recovery runs in extra time to ensure the final went the distance.
Owen Hargreaves said on the night that anyone watching that will think "that's the kind of player I want in my team"
The Rangers legend praised the 22-year-old as a "colossus".
After a dejecting penalty shootout defeat, much was made of the mental and physical condition of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's players.
Bassey was once again a key player as Rangers made sure they finished the season with a trophy.
The future of the ever-present defender, who looked likely to leave this summer on a free transfer before signing a new four-year deal last month, was the subject of a lot of the post-season chatter.
Concerns have been shifted to his partner now that Goldson's situation has been solved. Given Bassey's rise from the Rangers fringes, it's remarkable that interest is growing at the two English clubs.
Bassey started but failed to impress and was replaced early in a shock League Cup quarter-final defeat.
He was part of a group that received a six-game ban for attending a party and looking out of the picture.
Bassey replaced Borna Barisic at left-back in the early months of last season as the Croat struggled for form and fitness.
Bassey was moved to his own position after the arrival of Van Bronckhorst. Leon Balogun was left on the bench when he was left out of the team because he was injured.
The good news for Rangers is that Bassey is under contract until 2024, meaning it may well take a club-record fee to get him.
Mark Hateley said that Bassey has come so far so fast. He has established himself as a full-back.
I think there are a lot of clubs interested in him. He is only 22 years old. He has done a great job.
With the start of the new campaign just a fortnight away, the I Rangers board must find a balance between using their player trading model and having a settled squad for the upcoming season.
With Rangers reportedly looking for a fee of £25m, any bid close to that for a player recruited on a free transfer two years ago may prove too tempting to reject.
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