It's hard to find an adequate adjective when it comes to describing Connor Goldson's impact on title number 55. 

Last season the 28-year-old cajoled and organised his teammates through every minute of every game as the team’s defensive leader.

That may sound odd given the central defender operates in tandem with his captain in the backline - but when it comes to marshalling the quintet there’s no doubting who’s in charge.

He was dominant in all the areas that count when it comes to blocking out the opposition as he and his colleagues racked up a succession of records.

Most clean sheets in a 38 game season? Yup.

Longest streak of clean sheets at the start of a season? That too.

Least goals conceded in UK history, beating Jose Mourinho’s notoriously stingy Chelsea side? Indeed.

The Englishman looked solid when signing for £3m from Brighton in 2018, but he’s improved immeasurably under the exacting eye of Michael Beale.

In his opening two seasons, he’d be a comfortable seven or eight in the man-by-mans most weeks, however, every fifteen games or so he’d be capable of a decisive error.

He'd be prone to the odd momentary lapse in concentration and you'd get the sense thereafter he couldn’t quite shake the moment off. Despite his many obvious qualities, there was an unpolished diamond element to his game.

Slowly but surely though, those coarse edges were being buffed. And in his third season, a more refined, disciplined and mentally robust player emerged.

And it wasn’t just at the back he proved useful.

READ MORE: What went wrong in Rangers' 20/21 League Cup exit?

He’d long shown qualities in distribution, although the results could be occasionally erratic.

Playing for Rangers, where dominance is a given, was a big change from the former Shrewsbury and Brighton man.

At Ibrox he’d be expected to develop play from the back and not just keep it simple with 10 yard passes to Steven Davis.

As the team developed over the years, so did Goldson. And before long his raking diagonal balls were becoming noticeably more accurate. 

Teams would press in a way that would see them allow his partner to bring out the ball instead - the ultimate tribute to a vastly improved and passing range teams know can hurt them.

He is also a threat in and around the opposition's box as Celtic will testify. A double in the first Old Firm game of last season was crucial in setting the tone and putting Celtic under maximum pressure from the off.

An eight-goal haul, impressive for a central defender was evidence of his threat at set-pieces and a crucial element of making his side an even more dangerous and multi-faceted attacking outfit.

In short, he’s absolutely crucial to Rangers as a leader, a defender and even as an attacking threat.

It’s concerning then that he goes into this season with his contract set to expire next summer. Rangers are understandably keen to tie him down for the long term, but so far, no agreement has been reached.

You suspect the Ibrox club would normally look to move a player on in this situation, but a number of factors are at play with Goldson that may see them pursue an alternative strategy.

With the transfer market still dormant from the effects of Covid on the football economy, any hope of a bidding war where a price reflective of his irreplaceable value to the team could be achieved seems unlikely.

The prospect of three or four million pounds recouped is a drop in the ocean compared to the potential riches of Champions League qualification or the glory of making it two-in-a-row.

The Athletic reports Rangers are unflustered by the idea of their key defender remaining for the rest of the season and leaving on a free given his sterling service and the potential vacuum his departure would leave.

And while this seems a sensible approach many will remember the club taking a similar position with Brian Laudrup in the 1997/98 season when he signed a pre-contract deal with Chelsea.

The legendary Dane was still better than mere mortals that term but he was forgettable by his own impeccably high standards.

It’s a very difficult situation for a player to pull off but it's not an impossible balance to strike. 

And of course, Goldson may yet be persuaded to remain in Scotland and continue his Rangers adventure.

No matter what happens, he’s earned the right to choose for himself and no departure, eventual or immediate, will ever taint the memory of the colossus of 55.