Between 2016 and 2018, Glasgow Rangers struggled to adjust to life back in the Premiership, regularly suffering Old Firm defeats and even finishing third in those first two seasons back in the top flight under Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty, suggesting change was needed.
There weren’t many positives to take from this period, with poor signings ensuring the Ibrox side were extremely underwhelming, and it wasn’t until Steven Gerrard arrived in the summer of 2018 that the mentality changed and hopes were raised.
Despite some woeful results and even worse displays, attacking midfielder Josh Windass was arguably the club’s shining light during this spell, scoring regularly and the club may have struggled a lot more if he hadn't scored the goals.
He wasn’t quite Gerrard’s cup of tea however, with the former Liverpool captain looking to bring in his own players, Windass was sold to Wigan Athletic for an impressive fee of £2.5m in 2018 and judging by his decrease in value, the Light Blues certainly hit the jackpot with the sale.
How much is Josh Windass worth now?
The Englishman joined the Gers on a free transfer and went on to deliver 19 goals and 13 assists during his spell north of the border and considering how poor the club were at the time, these are solid figures.
The 4th official even praised him during his stunning 2017/18 campaign, lauding the player as “exceptional” and it looked as though he could be a mainstay in the side for a few years.
Gerrard thought differently and managing to make a £2.5m profit on the midfielder was excellent business. He has gone on to shine down south, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday, who he joined in 2020.
In three and a half years playing for the Owls, Windass has netted 32 goals and grabbed 15 assists, appearing to enjoy life in League One.
That said, despite a small section of the Ibrox support suggesting he was perhaps moved on too quickly, his diminishing transfer value suggests otherwise.
Indeed, Football Transfers now value the 29-year-old at just €0.5m (£438k) and edging towards his 30s, this value certainly won't be rising anytime soon, proving that Rangers managed to hit the jackpot by selling him when they did.
Windass has still displayed his class in England and has been one of the standout performers for Wednesday of late, yet the decision to sell him when he was arguably at his peak was an excellent decision by Gerrard and co.
