Dave King has endured rather than enjoyed Rangers role but he leaves after a job well done

When King steps down from his role next March, he will have time to reflect on a five-year service. He was a reluctant saviour throughout, a controversial character at times, but his place in Ibrox history is forever enshrined.

The hours he has spent on his club will be almost as eye-watering as the millions of pounds. The experience was more fraught than fun for the businessman.

“I think I enjoyed about seven minutes of it the day we beat Celtic in the semi-final at Hampden,” King joked with a wry smile after he announced his departure at Rangers’ Annual General Meeting on Tuesday morning.

“Those seven minutes didn’t long as I’d a meeting straight afterwards which took me back to reality.

“So I think about seven minutes. Out of five years that’s not bad...”

There have been few occasions where King has appeared emotional during his time at Ibrox.

His AGM speech was delivered with typical style but he would take a moment to compose himself as the sentences that confirmed his departure were uttered, and as supporters and shareholders took to their feet in warm appreciation.

“It was very emotional for me,” King said. “Other people will judge my legacy and I guess the job is not finished yet. The mere fact that I can consider stepping down shows to you that the club is in its healthiest financial position for 20 odd years. I’m not just talking about since regime change happened, I am looking at when I first sat on the board. We owed the banks £35million back then.

“So once we have squared away what I call the legacy debt, we will no longer need to run the club on an ad hoc basis.We have been making decisions, should we go for Kent, should we not go for Kent, where do we find the money from once we decided to move.

“All that was necessary to bridge the gap. What it did mean was that the operational management couldn’t make those final decisions without coming back to me.

“I was micromanaging the business and we are now in a position, largely because of the progress we have made over the last five years, where I feel I it’s the time for me to move on.

“Of course, I will have some regrets about standing down as chairman because this club has been a big part of me for the last five years. I wouldn’t be standing down if I didn’t think the crisis was behind us. I feel the club is in the right position, the club is properly funded.”

That, of course, was not always the case. The day after King, John Gilligan and Paul Murray took control at Ibrox back in 2015, Rangers drew 0-0 away to Cowdenbeath in the Championship.

In the coming weeks, they have a chance to qualify for the Europa League knockout rounds, win the League Cup and finish the year top of the Premiership.

The road to recovery hasn’t been easy for Rangers. King has been the driving force at Ibrox, though.

“I think I’m one of them,” he said when asked if he could be viewed as the man that saved Rangers. “I couldn’t have done it on my own. Not by a long way.

“There’s other very important people – Douglas Park would be one of them. It’s the whole board. There’s not a single person who didn’t contribute.

“Everyone made the same sacrifice. Maybe I wrote a bigger cheque than someone else but everyone within their means went to the well for me. They drew deeply from that well. Every single person. Every one. Not just me.”

For many, there would have been a temptation to hang on until the end of the season in the hope that they could bow out in style and with the Premiership title secured.

That never entered King’s mind, though. He will go on his terms, at his time, and watch Steven Gerrard’s side, and his beloved Liverpool, bid for respective silverware successes.

“I’ve got a situation back home where I’ve told my MDs in South Africa,” he said. “It’s our summer holidays now. After that there are things I have to do back there that I’ll do from January.

“I’ve told the MDs that when they come back from the summer vacations I’ll be back in their faces.

“For me it (the title) wasn’t the focus. It never was.

“I didn’t get involved because of that. I got involved because I had to and I wanted to. I just think the time is right. There is a good new structure in place. I’ll be as happy if they win the league whether I’m on the board or not.

“I want Liverpool to win the league. I’ve been waiting 30 years for that. I don’t have top be on the Liverpool board to enjoy that. I’m looking for the double this year.”

King will soon relinquish his seat in the Ibrox boardroom but his financial and personal interest in Rangers won’t end upon his exit.

His investment overall, and over both spells, runs into the tens of millions but he is content to step back from the front line this time.

“If you’re asking me I probably regret the £20m because I was too passive and I allowed David Murray to spend my money,” King said.

“This situation? No. because I’ve been in control of the spending where I’ve thought it’s to the advantage of the club.

“No one was imposing that on me. It was my choice. So I’m really comfortable with the money I’ve put in now.

“I’m actually so comfortable that I’m getting off the board because I’m actually trusting the system.

“I’ll still be the major shareholder. That’s not going to change.

“But I’m just comfortable letting the board get on with it without me micro managing them from above.”