From Australia to Ibrox and on to some of Europe's biggest leagues, Dave Mitchell was a genuine trailblazer for Australian footballers abroad.

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Born in Glasgow before moving to Adelaide as a young child, Mitchell grew up in a Rangers-supporting family. In 1983, he took the extraordinary step of buying out his own contract with Adelaide City to pursue the opportunity to join the club his family supported — Rangers.

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The powerful striker broke into the Rangers first team alongside another young forward by the name of Ally McCoist, with the pair remarkably scoring their first Rangers goals in the same League Cup match. Mitchell would also go on to represent the Light Blues in European competition.

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His time at Rangers was just the beginning of an impressive European career. In 1985, Mitchell became the first Australian to play in Germany's Bundesliga when he joined Eintracht Frankfurt. He later represented Feyenoord, Chelsea and Newcastle United, as well as playing professionally in Turkey, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

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On the international stage, Mitchell represented Australia 44 times, scoring 14 goals, and was part of the Australian team that competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

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After more than a decade playing overseas, he returned to Australia and established a successful coaching career, taking charge of clubs including Sydney Olympic, Sydney United, Parramatta Power and Perth Glory.

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A former Ranger, Socceroo and pioneer for Australian players in European football, Dave's journey from Adelaide to Ibrox and beyond makes him a particularly fitting guest for ORSA 2027 in Sydney.