Billy Davies inspired Ryan Bertrand in the Champions League final
Ryan Bertrand won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 and spoke of how Billy Davies inspired him in what was the biggest achievement of his career. The left-back made his Champions League debut in the final and he remembered one key bit of advice that his former Nottingham Forest boss gave him. Bertrand was on loan at the Tricky Trees for one season back in 2010 and he learnt a lot under Davies. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, the former England international was set to play in the biggest game of his life and he thought back to what Davies told him that calmed his nerves for the occasion: “So, I’ll be in the Champions League final and all I’m thinking about is Billy Davies. He used to say, this was playing against Derby, and we played them, so it’s a big game there. “I think we beat them 5-2 or something, but before the game he was just walking around the dressing room saying ‘play the game and not the occasion’, just walking around saying ‘play the game not the occasion’, and funnily enough when I was at that Champions League [final] when I was getting ready that’s all I could think of. “So, when I’m hearing the Champions League soundtrack and stuff which is amazing, and having that realisation of what this echo of just play this game, it’s just another game.” The 35-year-old was asked by the host if Davies’ advice worked on the night and he responded: “It did, it did. It actually worked alright playing against for example [Arjen] Robben was there and no matter how dangerous he was, I had that repetition against him when I was 16 because the more you play against a player, the more you become familiar with them.” Davies has returned to the game and is Greenock Morton’s new Technical Head Coach and will support Dougie Imrie on what promises to be an exciting season for the Ton.
What did we learn from Russell Martin’s debut as Rangers boss?
New Rangers boss Russell Martin won his first competitive in charge as Rangers defeated Panathinaikos but what did we learn from Martin’s debut at Ibrox? On paper a 2-0 victory at home with a clean sheet is impressive but there was moments in the game where the Light Blues rode their luck as Jack Butland was called into action making some pivotal saves. Martin set up in a 4-3-3 system and four of his seven summer signings featured the game, which were Joe Rothwell Nasser Djiga, Max Aarons, and Djeidi Gassama. It was a special moment for Findlay Curtis as he scored his first ever professional goal, which saw the Ibrox side kick on in the second half. Rothwell had a solid performance as he was calm and composed on the ball, and Gassama had a dream start scoring a lovely strike from outside the box after only being on the pitch for a handful of minutes. It was obvious that the players are still getting used to Martin’s system, and he will need time for it to work. There was flashes of how effective The Englishman’s style of play can be with one moment being the counter attacking phase and build up for Gassama’s finish. Aaron’s struggled at moments whilst playing in the left-back position with some misplaced passes and getting caught down his left-hand side. In terms of the goalkeeping situation, it appears Martin will be going with Butland as his number one choice for the time being, as the former England international will be looking to build on his display against the Greek outfit. Martin said before the Champions League qualifier that it won’t be a quick fix and pleaded with the Ibrox faithful to have patience with his philosophy and there will be some bumps along the road. Overall, it was a dream start for Martin at Ibrox in terms of getting an all important win and the Govan club are in a positive situation as they travel to Greece for the second leg.
Rangers sign Djeidi Gassama on a four-year deal from Sheffield Wednesday
Rangers have completed the signing of Djeidi Gassama for a fee of £2.2 million from Sheffield Wednesday on a four-year deal. The 21-year-old came through the youth ranks at Brest before joining PSG in 2019 where he signed his first professional contract in 2020. Gassama made his debut for PSG in 2022 in a 4-0 league victory over Montpellier, and played alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The winger has spent the last two seasons at the Owls making 84 appearances and scoring 12 goals. The former France U20’s international won Wednesday’s Wise Old Owl Player of the Year Award last season. Speaking to the Rangers official club website, Gassama said he is excited to get started at the Light Blues: “I am very happy to be here and to join the club. I am very excited to start with my new club, it is a club with a lot of history, and I am very happy. This is a big club, and I need that for my next level and I think it can help me progress.” Russell Martin also told the club website that he believes Gassama is a player that will have the Ibrox faithful on the edge of their seats: “We are very excited to bring Djeidi to the club. He is certainly an exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats, and I believe he will add an extra dimension to our attack with his qualities. He is hungry to improve as a player and, most importantly, is desperate to pull on the Rangers jersey and help deliver success to the club.” Gassama becomes Martin’s sixth summer signing as they prepare for their crucial Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos on July 22nd.
Rangers sign Nasser Djiga on a season long loan from Wolves
Rangers have completed the signing of Nasser Djiga on loan from Wolves until the end of the season. The centre-back joined the Old Gold from Red Star Belgrade for a fee of £10 million earlier this year. The 22-year-old has made 105 professional appearances and six for the Molineux club. Speaking to the Rangers official club website, the Burkina Faso international said that the Light Blues are one of the biggest clubs in Europe and is over the moon to have joined: “I am very happy to join Rangers, it is one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and in Europe. I will try to give everything, to play every game and I think it is the best team for me. I just want to play and enjoy football with the team.” Djiga becomes Russell Martin’s fifth signing and the Rangers boss told the Rangers official club website that his new signing has all the fundamentals to be a success in Scotland: “Nasser is someone who, despite still only being 22, has garnered valuable experience in both the UEFA Champions League and Premier League. “We believe he has all the attributes required to thrive here at Rangers in the upcoming campaign and I am looking forward to working with him.”
Rangers complete the signing of Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town
Russell Martin has made his fourth summer signing as Thelo Aasgaard joins Rangers from Luton Town on a four-year deal for a fee of £3.5 million. The midfielder came through the ranks at Liverpool before making the switch to Wigan Athletic in 2020 where he made 163 appearances scoring 30 goals with 11 assists in five years. The 23-year-old earned his first cap for Norway earlier this year in a 5-0 victory over Moldova and managed to find the back of the net on his debut. Speaking to the official Rangers club website, the Liverpool-born player believed that he would play under the new Rangers boss one day: “I am delighted to be here. I have been waiting for it, but I am glad to get it over the line. “When I heard about Rangers I was over the moon. I have played against the manager’s teams a few times and I always pictured myself in his team and to be here now is really good. “It was an easy decision, I love the number of games here, it is like the EFL and I love playing. The stature and history is enough as well.” Martin so far has signed Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and now Aasgaard, with more expected to follow into the door at Ibrox.
Joe Rothwell joins Rangers on a three-year deal
Rangers have completed the signing of Joe Rothwell on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Bournemouth. The 30-year-old was on loan at Leeds United last season, making 36 league appearances, and helped the club win the English Championship. Rothwell played under boss Russell Martin at Southampton where they gained promotion to the Premiership in 2024 through the championship play-offs. The midfielder has also had a successful spell at Blackburn Rovers where he made over 150 appearances in four years. Speaking to the official Rangers club website, the Englishman spoke of delight to have joined the Light Blues and linking up with his former Saints manager: “I am delighted to have the deal done and be here. It is brilliant. The size of the club speaks for itself and as soon as the interest was there it was an immediate yes from me. “With Russell coming in too it made that decision a little bit easier because working with him in the past and I know what type of guy he is and how he wants to do things. That was an even bigger pull for me, but the club speaks for itself.” Martin told the official Rangers club website, that Rothwell’s leadership and qualities as a player were so important in his decision to bring him to the Ibrox club: “He is a player who we thoroughly enjoyed working with during my time at Southampton. “His leadership, professionalism and quality were a huge asset. He is joining on the back of two promotions so helps bring a real winning mentality to the group. “We are excited for Joe to join up the squad, get to know his teammates, and help make the group stronger.”
Greg Taylor departs Celtic to join Greek outift PAOK FC
Greg Taylor leaves Celtic on a free transfer after six years to join greek outfit PAOK. The left-back knocked back the opportunity to stay at the Hoops as game time was likely to be limited due to the return of Kieran Tierney. Taylor joined the Parkhead club from Kilmarnock in 2019 and had a successful spell winning five league titles and 11 trophies in total. The Scottish champions posted a statement on the club website wishing the 27-year-old well and regarded him as a ‘key figure’ over the years. Brendan Rodgers was keen on keeping the Scotland international and believed Taylor and Tierney could have ‘dovetail perfectly’ together. As Taylor embarks on a new chapter in Greece, Rodgers will no doubt be looking to bring in another left-back to fill the shoes of Taylor.
Rangers fans ‘can be excited’ after Max Aarons joins on loan
Rangers have completed the signing of Max Aarons from Bournemouth on loan until the end of the season. The full-back becomes Russell Martin’s first signing since taking charge of the Ibrox club. Aarons, 25, won the English Championship with Norwich City on two occasions and helped the England U21’s win the European Championship in 2023 and will be looking to make an impact at the Light Blues. Speaking to the official Rangers club website, the right-back said he can bring a ‘new energy’ to the team, he said: “I am delighted to be here, as you can see it’s a huge club and you realise that when you walk through the doors, I can’t wait to get going. “I’ve got a lot of experience now in different leagues and I have played a lot of games. I think I can bring that experience, I can bring a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited – I am really looking forward to it.” New boss Martin also told the official Rangers club website that he watched Aarons’ development whilst he was coming through the youth ranks at the Canaries and believes he will be a success at the Govan club: “Max is a player who I have always kept a keen eye on since he was emerging through the youth ranks while I was coming to the end of my time at Norwich as a player. He is a wonderfully talented player who is hungry to develop, improve and help deliver success for his side. “We are pleased to bring him on board for this season, and I believe he will be a fantastic addition to the squad.”
Celtic officially announce the return of Kieran Tierney
Celtic announce the return of Kieran Tierney on a pre-contract deal from Arsenal. Tierney left the Parkhead club in 2019 for a fee of £25 million and spent six years at the Gunners. The 28-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year deal, which will keep him at the Celts until 2030. During his time in London he managed to win the FA Cup in 2020 and was loaned out in 2023 to Real Sociedad. The left-back had a successful time in Glasgow winning 8 major honours with the Scottish champions. The Scotland international spoke of his delight to return to his boyhood club: “Everybody’s known for a few months and just to be here with the Celtic strip on again just feels amazing. “I spoke with the manager, and obviously I had worked with him before and I’ve always kept in touch with him. He’s one of the best so I’m so lucky and grateful that he’s given me the chance to come back again. “When you move away from home, you grow up, you learn different things. I was in Spain for a year, learning a different language and playing in a different league, so I’m definitely a different person. “Player-wise, it’s the same as I always say – I’ll try and work my hardest, I’ll do my best for the club and that’s all I can do. “My ambition is just for Celtic to be as successful as possible, retain our place at the top and continue to win trophies and do well for Celtic.”
Russell Martin gives verdict on the future of James Tavernier as captain
New Rangers head coach Russell Martin was asked about the future of the club captain James Tavernier and the speculation surrounding his captaincy going forward. Tavernier was officially given the armband seven years ago by previous boss Steven Gerrard and it’s been a rollercoaster since. The 33-year-old has won every domestic trophy in Scotland and even captained the Light Blues to a Europa League final in 2022, where he finished top goal scorer in the competition with seven goals. The right-back has been at the club for ten years and is set to have his testimonial this season. The Bradford-born defender is in the final year of his contract and many expect it to be his final season at Ibrox. Martin played with Tavernier in 2018 during a six month loan spell and he believes the full-back is still ‘hugely important’ to the team: “I think to play here for as long as he has, to be captain for as long as he has, takes a lot of energy. It’s not easy. I’ve been at a club where sometimes you’re the one that’s been there the longest and you end up getting criticised a lot because you’ve been there the longest. You’re an ageing player and all that stuff. “I think he’s been so important for this team and this club on and off the pitch and I’m looking forward to chatting in more detail with him and speaking to him about it all. “Then how much he gets used on the pitch will be down to Tav and how he trains and how he plays, the same as every player. But he’s going to be hugely important in the culture. I know what he’s like as a person behind the scenes and he’s fantastic.” Tavernier has come under some criticism from sections of the Rangers faithful with calls for Nicolas Raskin to become the new skipper. Martin said he doesn’t see any reason why he would take the captaincy off Tavernier if he’s featuring in the team and playing well: “How much he plays on the pitch, I can’t sit here and tell you he’s going to play 50 games, 20 games, whatever. It will be down to him in the way he performs and the way he buys into it, which I’m pretty sure he will. “If he’s playing. He’s been the captain for a very long time. I don’t see any reason to change that. And if he’s not playing, it will force someone else [to be captain].”
