ian1964 10,386 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 HOME is where the heart is. And right now for Mancunian Kyle Bartley that feels like Ibrox. Arsenal star Bartley took to Rangers from day one after arriving on a short-term loan close to the shutting of the January transfer window. The calm and collected centre-half made an immediate impression for the champions on and off the pitch. So much so that the popular Bartley is now being treated like part of the Rangers family. His Gers pals are desperate to see the ex-England youth ace return to the club for the 2011-12 campaign. Bartley knows that because they are forever texting him to see what's going on - and if Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will grant Ally McCoist's wish to again borrow a player of real potential. The 20-year-old - with one game for the Gunners in the Champions League against Olympiakos in 2009 - doesn't hide the fact he'd jump at the chance to sign for the Gers again. Bartley, to be fair, also stresses he still sees his long-term future at the Emirates. But Rangers made a huge impression on him. And he'd love to return to win medals - having suffered the agony of injury robbing him of Co-op Cup and title glory. Bartley opened his heart to Scotland's No1 paper and said: "I was only at Rangers for a short while. But I've got so many good memories. I couldn't have been treated any better by the people there, from Walter Smith and the coaching staff to the players and everyone behind the scenes. "I loved it at Rangers and if I was to get another opportunity to play there it would be fantastic. "I'm a professional and Arsenal are my club. I'm under contract and it will be Arsene Wenger who decides what's best for me. "But it's no secret that the idea of another loan spell with Rangers would be very attractive. "The only negative for me was the knee injury I suffered which cut short my season. But I'm recovering well and I hope to get the all-clear from the specialist to step up my rehab work. "The target was always to be ready for the start of pre-season training - and I feel I'm on course for that. "Whether it's at Arsenal or Rangers, I'm determined to be 100 per cent fit. "But even when I was sidelined for Rangers I was made to feel a part of everything. "The scenes after the League Cup Final victory and the championship success were AMAZING. "I can't thank the Rangers fans enough for their best wishes and comments. They played such a big part in my experience in Scotland being so good. "I've made a lot of friends among the other players and they will remain so even if I've to stay at Arsenal. Vladimir Weiss, Maurice Edu, Kyle Lafferty, David Healy, Allan McGregor - they have all been texting me to see how things are and if I'll be coming back to Rangers. "Even Davie Weir's kept in touch. I learned plenty from him. He's a great guy. It's like I'm part of the Rangers family and it means a lot to me." New Rangers chief scout Neil Murray is understood to have handed manager McCoist a detailed list of five potential transfer targets for every position. Of special interest is defenders - and Bartley is top choice among them. Intriguingly, as SunSport revealed, Liverpool and Scotland teenager Danny Wilson is also a candidate for an Ibrox return less than a year after leaving But Bartley is a key name McCoist has been willing to go public on - underlining his desire to persuade Wenger to commit to another deal. The rookie gaffer appreciates that man-management will be a critical aspect if he's to successfully follow in the footsteps of legend Walter Smith. Bartley added: "Ally made a point of talking about me and I appreciated that. "That he's so keen to get me back to Rangers has given me a great boost. "But I also don't think it's a case of Ally just trying to sweet-talk me. "I honestly feel he's the kind of guy who would've done it anyway. "Ally was brilliant for me at Rangers after I arrived and I'm certain he's going to prove a great manager. "Only time will tell if I'm going to play for him. We'll see. "The bottom line is I'm an Arsenal player and it's also a special club with a top manager. Whether or not I head back to Rangers is out of my hands." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3629093/Im-one-of-the-family.html#ixzz1OqnseUAu 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 743 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Arsenal signed a young 19 yr old defender from Chalrton yesterday...hopefully this ups the chances of Bartley returning to Ibrox. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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