The Italian spent almost a decade at Rugby Park and became a firm fans' favourite, but one of his strongest memories from Scottish football came just weeks into his first season in the country.

Kilmarnock travelled to face Rangers in August 2008, having taken seven points from their opening three matches, leaving them level with Walter Smith's side at the top of the table heading into week four of the campaign.

For Pascali, however, the occasion was about more than the result.

Speaking on The Table podcast, he recalled: "My first memory is that of Ibrox.

"My first year in Scotland, we played Rangers in week four.

"We went into the game top alongside them because we'd taken seven points from the first three games.

"The crazy thing about Scottish football, well it's the same in England but compared to Italy, is that the stadium fills up at the last minute.

"You go out for the warm-up and it's empty, then when you come back out the stadium is full.

"When I went to that stadium, where before it they're playing Simply The Best and the fireworks are going off, when I went out for the warm-up and was walking around I looked and I said 'I did it.'

"That's when I truly realised I had made it."

The former defender admits the atmosphere generated by a packed Ibrox left him in awe rather than intimidated.

He said: "So to walk out in front of 60,000 I was smiling.

"I wasn't the type to say something like, 'oh God what's happening today?'

"I was actually smiling, I was thinking, 'where the f*** are they?'

"Even going into the dressing room and seeing Pascali 29 you just say 'f***.'

"I couldn't wait."

Pascali's first visit to Govan provided an instant football education too.

Used as a defender on one of the first occasions in his career, he found himself tasked with handling Rangers favourite Nacho Novo as Kilmarnock threatened to spring an upset.

He continued: "We actually played a great game, I played as a defender for one of the first times in my career.

"I was up against Nacho Novo who is one of those who has made his mark on Scottish football, a bit of a Rangers legend and he sucked me in, he was more sly than me and won a classic striker's penalty where I've come in for the challenge and put my arm across, he collapses and all of Ibrox is screaming for it.

"We were winning 1-0 by the way, then in five minutes I don't know what happened, I gave away the penalty it's a goal and the whole stadium is on its feet then they quickly got a second and we lost."

Kris Boyd struck twice as Rangers turned the match around, but Pascali left with a memory that would last a lifetime.

He added: "But that was the day I said 'f*** I've fulfilled my dream here.'"