It has become something of an urban legend among football fans and a symbol of one Glasgow club’s enduring unionist credentials.  

And now the story of how a framed portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in all her regal pomp came to stare down over the Rangers dressing room has been told.  

Former captain and manager Grame Souness has revealed that the painting was put up at his instigation, to spruce up the ‘old fashioned’ changing room where players would prepare for games.

READ MORE: Incredulous Rangers legend Ally McCoist reacts to Celtic Champions League odds 

Speaking to Talksport, Souness said: “When I was at Glasgow Rangers, we had an old-fashioned dressing room with great, big high ceilings, and it was crying out for a portrait of our Queen. 

“So I instructed Doddie Wier, who was the boss of the dressing room – not the tallest of chaps – and he went out and got this picture which was slightly bigger than him, and he put it up in the dressing room. It’s still there to this day.  

“I’m proud I was responsible for that.” 

Souness began his Rangers career as player before switching to manager. He was in charge as the club began its nine-titles-in-a-row period of dominance in the 1980s and 90s, before departing for Liverpool and handing the reigns to Walter Smith. 

READ MORE: UEFA confirm no minute's silence will be held before Shakhtar vs Celtic Champions League clash

The portrait of the queen has continued to inspire the team’s players, although not without some confusion from some of their more continental stars.  

The Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who was brought to Glasgow as a teenager and would go on to lift the European Cup with AC Milan, has previously said he did not know who the Queen was on his arrival – and asked his teamates which ‘saint’ was depicted in the portrait.