Given Rangers off-field troubles back in 2012, Rangers fans wouldn’t have believed their team would reach another European final in the space of 14 years.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his players have booked their date with destiny against Eintrahct Frankfurt in sunny Seville on Wednesday night.
While the competition is now called the Europa League, the Ibrox club fell at the final hurdle in its previous incarnation as the UEFA Cup.
Following the high of their penalty shoot-out triumph over a Fiorentina side full of experienced internationalists in the semi-finals, the Gers were brought crashing back down to earth as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg in Manchester.
Two members of Walter Smith’s squad (Allan McGregor and Steven Davis) are remarkably set to feature at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium this week.
The current crop of players will hope they can honour Smith, who passed away last year, and legendary kitman Jimmy Bell by lifiting the iconic trophy in the Andalusian capital.
GlasgowWorld looks at the starting XI that night in 2008 and where their careers have subsequently taken them:
UNUSED: Graeme Smith (GK), Christian Dailly, Charlie Adam, Amdy Faye
NOT IN SQUAD: Allan McGregor (GK), Roy Carroll (GK), Alan Hutton, Thomas Buffel, Ugo Ehiogu, Alan Gow, Chris Burke, Ian Murray, Steven Naismith, DaMarcus Beasley, Andy Webster, Filip Sebo, Steven Smith, Daniel Cousin, Paul Emslie, Dean Furman, John Fleck
13. NACHO NOVO - (SUB)
Etched his name into the club’s history books by scoring the winning penalty in the semi-final against Fiorentina. Left Ibrox in 2010 and had spells in his homeland and Poland before returning to Scotland in 2013 with Morton. Turned out for Carlisle United before heading stateside for two years to play for Carolina Railhawks. Ended his career in Northern Ireland with Glentoran in 2017. Photo: SNS Group Steve Welsh
14. LEE McCULLOCH - (SUB)
A trustworthy midfielder who spent eight years at Ibrox between 2007-2015 before moving to Kilmarnock. Place in caretaker charge of the Ayrshire club in 2016 following Gary Locke’s departure and was named the club’s permanent boss the following season. Assistant manager of Polish club Lechia Gdansk in January 2018 before taking on coaching roles at Dundee United and Hearts, where he is current No.2 to Robbie Neilson Photo: SNS Group Alan Harvey
15. KRIS BOYD - (SUB)
Well-travelled striker who left Rangers in 2010 for Middlesbrough. Had a loan stint at Nottingham Forest before moving abroad to join Turkish club Eskişehirspor. A season at Portland Timbers followed before a second spell at Kilmarnock. Re-joined the Ibrox club in 2014 as they continued their rebuild before ending his career with a third stint at Killie