Danny Rohl and Rangers ultimately failed to utilise Derek Cornelius during his season loan from Marseille.
The 28-year-old impressed in his early months at Ibrox, but picked up a significant injury in November and would never be seen in a Rangers shirt again.
In February, it emerged that the defender had returned to action and was training with the academy players, a fact that Rohl later confirmed.
Cornelius has since explained that the German had told him that he would not be a part of the Rangers squad going forward, with the option to buy included in his loan deal passed up.
The 28-year-old will hope to drum up interest in a move elsewhere during the World Cup, and he got off to a great start as Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.
The Marseille man was in fine form for the hosts, who earned their first-ever point in World Cup history.
It all ends level! #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 12, 2026
Danny Rohl decision looks ridiculous as stats emerge
Cornelius only ever made five appearances under Rohl, initially arriving at Rangers under the management of Russell Martin.
The 28-year-old arrived with a wealth of experience, having spent time in Germany, Serbia, Greece, Sweden and France in his career.
And Cornelius looked to be a good addition, providing the back-line with an mature head to guide the likes of Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga.
He would not have known an injury picked up on international duty in November would mark the end of his club season, however.
Cornelius returned to action for Jesse Marsch’s team in March and impressed in Friday’s World Cup opener.
, démarre la campagne pour la Coupe du monde 2026 avec un point
Prochain match pour le Canada : le Qatar le 19 juin #FIFAWorldcup pic.twitter.com/YlvV5tyoqh— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) June 12, 2026
The defender made 12 passes into the final third and was fouled once, winning all of his ground duels and four of his aerials.
Four tackles, four clearances, an interception and seven recoveries made this a dominant display from the centre-back.
Cornelius explains Danny Rohl talks
The irony of the situation is now that Rohl may leave Rangers himself, with talk of a switch to RB Salzburg gaining momentum.
The German has become an unpopular figure at Ibrox for several decisions, with his treatment of Cornelius also a point of contention.
“I felt very disrespected,” the defender told TSN in May. “I said [to Rangers], ‘I can help this team.’ In some way, whether that’s starting, whether it’s five minutes to hold on to a lead, whether that’s having a conversation with a guy – a younger player – saying, ‘don’t worry about the pressure, just focus on your job.’ Whatever [role].
“I wasn’t given a solid reason as to why I was not able to be considered [to play].”
He added: “I think I came back into team training maybe twice or so, and then after the second training, I was called to [Röhl’s] office, and he basically just told me, ‘From now until the end of the season, you’re not going to be part of the squad.’ And I just felt that was really unfair. I felt like I deserved the opportunity to work my way back into the team.”
