| 'Gabby' joined Rangers for £4.2 million in the summer of 1998. He was
part of the influx of new players at the start of the Dick Advocaat
era, and he arrived in Scotland with a fine reputation. Having started
his career in his native Argentina, Gabriel Amato moved to Spain in 1996
to join Hercules, with whom he spent one season before moving to Real
Mallorca at the start of the 1997/98 season. His performances on the
Balearic Island - he scored thirteen goals as Mallorca finished fifth in
La Liga and reached the Final of the Copa del Rey - attracted Advocaat,
and big things were expected from the skilful attacker when he touched
down in Glasgow.
Although not blessed with an abundance of pace,
Amato had a wonderful repertoire of tricks and skills, which he
showcased on many occasions during his short stint in a Rangers jersey.
He made his debut in a light blue jersey as a second-half substitute in a
thrilling UEFA Cup Preliminary Round tie against Shelbourne in July
1998. Introduced along with Jonatan Johansson at the interval, the
Argentinean made an explosive start to his Rangers career, as he helped
the Light Blues to avoid the most embarrassing result in their history,
scoring twice, as the Glasgow giants recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win
5-3.
The Rangers supporters took to Amato immediately and their
love affair was cemented on 2 January 1999 when the Argentinean turned
in a terrific display in the Old Firm derby against Celtic. After
stooping to turn a Neil McCann cross into the net with a stunning diving
header, Amato created Rangers' second goal of the night with some
spellbinding trickery on the bye-line that saw him shuffle the ball from
right foot to left before nutmegging Alan Stubbs. His cross into the
penalty area broke to Rod Wallace, who drilled the ball home to secure a
2-2 draw.
That showcasing of Amato wizardry was not an isolated
one. Another particularly memorable moment was a sublime double drag
back that took him clear of the Parma defence during a UEFA Cup tie at
Ibrox midway through his first season in Scotland. Unfortunately, Gordon
Durie failed to mark the piece of skill with the goal it deserved when
he headed Amato¹s cross over the bar from only six yards range. There
was also a wonderful solo goal at Pittodrie in a resounding 5-1 win over
Aberdeen during his second season in Glasgow. Picking the ball up on
the right flank, Amato weaved his way beyond several Dons defenders,
throwing in a couple of cheeky nutmegs for good measure, before firing
the ball in to the net.
Although he appeared in just twenty of
the thirty-six SPL matches in 1998/99, Amato earned himself a
Championship medal, as the Light Blues claimed the SPL title in
Advocaat's first season in charge. The Argentinean also bagged a
Scottish Cup winners' medal, playing the entire ninety minutes of the
Final, as Rangers defeated Celtic to clinch the domestic Treble.
For
some reason, though, things never really worked out for Gabby in
Glasgow. He was never a regular under Advocaat, and he left to join the
Brazilian side Gremio in November 1999. Before he left, though, Amato
had a parting gift for the Rangers fans, another Old Firm goal. This
time he got the break of the ball on the edge of the penalty area,
danced round Celtic goalkeeper Jonathan Gould and squeezed the ball into
the net from an acute angle. He celebrated the goal, Rangers' fourth in
a 4-2 victory, by getting down on one knee and shooting an imaginary
Cupid's arrow into the Main Stand, proof of the mutual love affair that
existed between the diminutive South American and the Rangers public. (Alistair Aird, Author of Ally McCoist - Portrait of a Hero)
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