Russell Martin reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson and Rangers great are fuelling Champions League bid
Russell Martin enlisted Sir Alex Ferguson and John Greig to fire up his new-look Rangers side ahead of Tuesday's Champions League qualifying crunch with Panathinaikos.
The Ibrox boss - who admitted Thelo Aasgaard is 'touch and go' for the huge Euro clash - invited the icons to give his troops a pep talk at Auchenhowie last week.
Martin insists there's no-one better than 'Greatest Ever Ranger' Greig - who captained the side to their only Euro success in the 1972 Cup Winners' Cup - and legendary boss Ferguson to impress the standards required on his players.
And he reckons the duo have done his team talk for him as Rangers begin their quest to reach the £40m promised land of Champions League proper.
He said: 'We have to get into the habit of winning and playing the way we want to play. It has to be about us.
'It has to be about our intention, our habits and what we do. If we are going to run or fight we have to do it all the time.
'We've had a couple of people in this week in John Greig and Sir Alex Ferguson who understand that.
'It was great for the guys to see them. They are desperate for this team to do well.
'They have echoed that message. That's what they want to see as fans of this club.
'So any team talk I had I think is done when those two guys speak about this club and what it means to them. I hope we put in a performance that those two guys feel proud of as well.'
Martin spent two seasons playing under Ferguson's son Darren at Peterborough earlier in his career.
And he revealed how Sir Alex has been in regular contact since he took on the job at Ibrox last month.
He said: 'I played under Darren Ferguson at Peterborough and he reached out a few weeks ago and said his dad wanted to give me a call.
'Since then Sir Alex has been in touch regularly. He has been up and it was brilliant for everyone to see him.
'He has been so supportive of me personally which has been incredible.
'And Mr Greig messaged me, it was the first chance he has had to get in. They both told stories about each other and it was a really nice to see them both.
'They are both really behind us and what we are trying to do.
'The same as the fans they want to see a team that fights, works for everything and has a way about them on the pitch that typifies what they believe this club to be about.'
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