'I don't want to be squad player' - Rice on Rangers role
The 18-year-old midfielder made his debut for the club away to Livingston in February 2023, but further progress has been gradual.
After featuring just twice as a late substitute in the 2023-24 campaign, he has made nine appearances this term, three of which have been starts.
Barry Ferguson take interim charge in February, but there is uncertainty over who will be Rangers boss next season amid an impending takeover of the club.
"You don't want to just be a squad player or a bench player," Rice said prior to Sunday's Scottish Premiership match against Aberdeen.
"You want to be playing for this club which I've supported for my whole life. It's a dream every time I play and hopefully I can take that into next season and see where it goes.
"People can say it's been slow, but at the end of the day this is Rangers. It's a lot harder and a lot more demanding than any other club. I've been happy with how it's been."
On his relationship with caretaker boss Ferguson, Rice added: "He's been brilliant, he's been brutally honest which I really like and he has been picking apart my game to see what I can do better and see what I'm doing well."
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CNET
6 hours ago
- CNET
How to Watch Panathinaikos vs. Rangers From Anywhere for Free: Stream Champions League Qualifier Soccer
Glasgow Rangers will aim to move a step closer to playing in European football's biggest competition today. The club takes a two-goal advantage to the Olympic Stadium in Athens in this second qualifying round, second-leg clash against Panathinaikos. Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch this match as it happens, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if the game isn't available where you are. Former Scotland international Russell Martin kicked off his tenure as Rangers' new manager with a strong 2-0 win at Ibrox in the home leg, thanks to Findlay Curtis and debutant Djeidi Gassama. That match saw Giorgos Vagiannidis receive a red card for Panathinaikos, ruling the defender out of this crucial return match. The Greek side will feel confident of clawing back the deficit, however, with home advantage on its side. Panathinaikos takes on Rangers on Wednesday, July 30, at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. EEST local time in Greece, which makes it a 7 p.m. BST start in the UK. For soccer fans in the US and Canada, it's a 2 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. PT kickoff, while it's a 4 a.m. AEST start in Australia on Thursday morning. Russell Martin took over at Rangers last month after a disappointing season in the Premier League with Panathinaikos vs. Rangers in the UK The great news for footy fans in the UK is that this Champions League qualifier is set to be broadcast live on free-to-air channel BBC Scotland. That also means you'll be able to stream the action online via BBC iPlayer, with coverage getting underway at 6:45 p.m. BST. BBC BBC Watch Panathinaikos vs. Rangers in the UK for free With this match being broadcast on BBC Scotland, you'll be able to watch the game online for free via the network's on-demand streaming service, BBC iPlayer. With an app that's available for Android and Apple mobile devices, as well as a vast array of smart TVs and streaming boxes, all you need is a valid UK TV license to stream the game. See at BBC How to watch the UEFA Champions League qualifier online from anywhere using a VPN If you're traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the soccer action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming. It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. They can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you're considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform's terms of service to ensure compliance. If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider's installation instructions, ensuring you're connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN use is crucial. James Martin/CNET ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year) Latest Tests No DNS leaks detected, 18% speed loss in 2025 tests Network 3,000 plus servers in 105 countries Jurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month. Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at Can I livestream Panathinaikos vs. Rangers in the US, Canada or Australia? No broadcaster has the rights to show this game live in any of these three regions. That also means that if you're in any of these countries traveling for pleasure or for work, you're unlikely to be able to watch the game like you normally would at home, thanks to geoblocking. There's one option to get around this. By using a VPN, as explained above, you can set your location to a country where the match is being broadcast, and go from there. Quick tips for streaming UEFA Champions League qualifiers using a VPN
New York Times
10 hours ago
- New York Times
Rangers schedule analysis: Biggest matchups, reunions, travel tips for the 2025-26 season
The summer doldrums have hit. The Stanley Cup Final and NHL Draft both ended more than a month ago. Most free agents have signed. Trade chatter has died down. At least there are future dates to plan around now. The league announced each team's 82-game schedule for the 2025-26 season earlier this month, giving us a chance to dive into the Rangers' slate, both from practical and fun standpoints. From the biggest matchups to offbeat road trip suggestions, we've got you covered. Advertisement Oct. 7, Penguins vs. Rangers: Opening night is always a big deal, even if the opponent is expected to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Mike Sullivan's first game as Rangers head coach will come against his former team, which adds another fun wrinkle. Oct. 18, Rangers at Canadiens: Montreal snagged the second wild card spot in 2024-25 and is one of the teams the Rangers will likely have to hop to make the postseason. October is early on the NHL calendar, but the points from this game could loom large come April. Nov. 15, Rangers at Blue Jackets and Nov. 16, Red Wings vs. Rangers: The Rangers have 13 back-to-backs this season, right around league average. This one could have an early-season impact on the standings. The Rangers finished below both Columbus and Detroit this past season. Nov. 20, Rangers at Avalanche: Six consecutive matchups between New York and Colorado have been decided by one goal. Five of those games went to overtime. The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here. The Rangers then host the Avalanche on Dec. 6. Dec. 23 and 31: Rangers at Capitals: New York could be in the mix with Washington for a playoff spot if the Capitals regress from their Eastern Conference-best 2024-25 season. Two road games in a condensed period of time could matter greatly for the Rangers' chances. Jan. 28, Rangers at Islanders and Jan. 29, Islanders vs. Rangers: One or both of these teams might be on the outside of the playoff picture by this point in the season, but rivalry games are always fun. If both are still in the mix, even better. March 7, Rangers at Devils; March 18 and March 31, Devils vs. Rangers: For whatever reason, the NHL does not have New York playing its Hudson River rivals until March. The teams meet three times that month, and zero times for the rest of the season. The condensed period here could lead to rising tensions and chippiness. Advertisement All of April: Is it cheating to list a full month? Probably, but if the upcoming Rangers season is anything like the last one, they could be fighting for a playoff spot all the way until the final game of the season. Six of New York's seven games in April are against Eastern Conference teams, some of which — April 2 vs. Montreal, April 4 vs. Detroit, April 5 vs. Washington — could come directly against clubs they're battling. It all matters. New York ends the year with road games against Florida and Tampa Bay on April 13 and 15, respectively. The Rangers could have an edge in those final two games if the Panthers and Lightning have already locked up playoff spots and rest some regulars. Oct. 11, Rangers at Penguins: Sullivan heads back to Pittsburgh for his first game there, four days after meeting the Penguins in the season opener. Dec. 15, Ducks vs. Rangers: It will be a fascinating and likely emotional night at the Garden, with Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba and Anaheim in town. Trouba played 364 games with the Rangers, with whom he made two conference finals appearances. New York named him captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. The end of his Rangers' tenure was ugly, though. Team president and general manager Chris Drury tried to trade him after 2023-24, then eventually succeeded in making a move in December. Trouba said Drury threatened to put him on waivers if he did not accept the trade to Anaheim, which was on his no-trade list. Though never captain, Kreider had a hold over Rangers fans' hearts for more than a decade. The 34-year-old will presumably get a monster ovation when he returns in mid-December. Kreider played 883 games with the club before a trade this summer, finishing his time in New York third all-time in goals. Though his final season with the Rangers was rocky, he and Drury made sure to publicly compliment each other after Kreider's exit, likely a nod that neither wanted the goodbye to tarnish the long-term relationship between club and player. Advertisement Asked about the schedule release last week ahead of the Shoulder Check game, Kreider didn't bite and talk about the Rangers; instead, he noted that he was looking forward to different Ducks homestands over Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Dec. 16, Canucks vs. Rangers: Filip Chytil was hurt when New York and Vancouver played last season after the J.T. Miller trade on Jan. 31. The center, part of the package sent to the Canucks in return, will make his Madison Square Garden return, a little less than a year later. Jan. 12, Kraken vs. Rangers: Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren, both traded in the middle of last season, will return with Seattle. Whether you're going to a full road trip or just to one game, you can find great food in every city. Here are some of my favorite spots on the road: Miku (Vancouver), Spice Room (Denver), Pappy's (St. Louis), Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (St. Louis), 529 Wellington Steakhouse (Winnipeg), Mandrake (Columbus), Lou Mitchell's (Chicago), Pancake Pantry (Nashville), Drogheria Fine (Montreal). Perhaps you are looking to get some friends together for a hockey road trip. The Rangers have a few appealing swings, especially in a travel-heavy first half of the season. Oct. 16 at Toronto, Oct. 18 at Montreal: Perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I get chills during introductions every time I'm at the Bell Centre in Montreal. It's the best atmosphere in hockey; every big fan should get there at least once. If you go to the Toronto leg of the trip, you can check out the Hockey Hall of Fame on your way to the game. This two-game set is perfect if you're a hockey lover. Oct. 26 at Calgary, Oct. 28 at Vancouver, Oct. 30 at Edmonton, Nov. 1 at Seattle: This trip might be a bit scarring to a die-hard fan — it's the same road trip (albeit with the cities in a different order) that sparked the team's downfall in 2024-25. The Rangers were badly outplayed in a loss to the Flames and then trounced by the Oilers, prompting Chris Drury to send out his now-infamous memo saying he was open to trading roster players. Perhaps Western Canada will be friendlier to New York this season. Advertisement Calgary is fun. If you get there a day or two early, you can rent a car and go to Banff National Park. Then, if you arrive early to the game and get seats toward the middle of the ice, you can look up and see freaked-out reporters (me, for example) willing themselves to trek across the catwalk. The Saddledome is one of the stranger rinks in the league, but it has a lot of charm, especially if you're going to one game there a season, not 41. Vancouver and Seattle are both beautiful Pacific Northwest cities, and in Edmonton, you get to watch Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play, though if you're a fan of the visiting team, that's probably more terrifying than exciting. Nov. 18 at Vegas, Nov. 20 at Colorado, Nov. 22 at Utah: Vegas doesn't need an introduction from me. If it's your thing, it's your thing. If it's not, maybe skip that leg. Denver and Salt Lake City both have calmer vibes and good mountain scenery. Also, if the public address announcer's voice in Denver sounds familiar, it's because he's been on the mic for countless major sporting events, including Super Bowls, Olympics and a FIFA World Cup. Dec. 29 at Carolina, Dec. 31 at Washington, Jan. 2 at Florida (in Miami): These are the final three games of a six-game swing that's interrupted by the NHL's holiday break. If you want to see tailgating in December, go to a Hurricanes game. With the possible exception of Washington, D.C., these cities should also offer a respite from some of the cold in the northeast. To cap off the trip, New York meets the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in the Winter Classic. The game will take place in loanDepot Park in Miami, where the Marlins play. TNT will air it. Plenty of Rangers fans spend winters in Florida, so there are often big crowds at games in Sunrise or Tampa. The Winter Classic should be no different, especially if their faithful make the trip down from New York. The Rangers have to hope the Winter Classic goes differently from their last marquee game in South Florida. New York's magical 2023-24 season ended in Sunrise, about an hour north of Miami, with a Game 6 loss in the 2024 conference final. The Panthers went on to win the Stanley Cup that season — and again in 2024-25. (Photo of Chris Kreider against Anaheim last season: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cup-winning Dons seek major improvement to league form
It seems like no time since Aberdeen city centre was a sea of red and white as the hordes came out to celebrate the Dons' famous Scottish Cup victory. It was a special weekend for the supporters and the city. More than three decades of impatiently waiting for the old trophy to return to the Pittodrie boardroom was, as the club say, worth the wait. That success will rightly be woven through the campaign that is about to begin, but it is back to business for Jimmy Thelin and his players as they look for a major improvement on their 2025 league form which had them rooted to the foot of the calendar year table following the conclusion of 2024-25. A year ago, Thelin led Aberdeen on a stunning run as they made it all the way through to the November international break undefeated, keeping pace with Celtic at the top along the way. What followed was equally staggering but for all the wrong reasons as they won just five more league games before ultimately dropping to fifth on the final day. That was quickly forgotten a week later as Thelin's men produced silverware which is, after all, the be all and end all for any football club. But the league is the 'bread and butter' as they say and Thelin knows the second half of 2024-25 was not acceptable as he shapes a squad that can deal with the European prize they snatched from under Hibernian's nose that afternoon at Hampden Park along with their domestic form. It suffered badly two seasons ago with Barry Robson ultimately paying the price. The return of Alfie Dorrington on loan from Spurs could be a masterstroke while the arrivals of Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche have the potential to excite the fans. And will Australia international Kusini Yengi be the answer up front as he follows in the footsteps of Bojan Miovski and Kevin Nisbet? On paper, the signing of 19-year-old Icelander Kjartan Kjartansson looks to be one for the future, but it would be no surprise to see him involved heavily given he has already got over 60 first-team matches under his belt in his homeland. It has shades of Lewis Ferguson who immediately made an impression upon arriving at Pittodrie back in 2018. The SPFL have handed the Dons about as tough a start as they could have with a visit to Hearts first up - they haven't won at Tynecastle since 2017 - before champions Celtic come to Pittodrie with revenge on their minds after Thelin's men destroyed their treble bid in May. It is likely there will be one or two more arrivals before the end of the transfer window with others leaving. Vicente Besuijen has already departed for a third loan spell, this time to HJK in Finland, with the likes of Richard Jensen, Slobodan Rubezic and Peter Ambrose also on decent contracts but on the periphery these days. Thelin and Dave Cormack's well documented three-year-plan is about to enter season two and if it ends with silverware again, nobody in the Granite City will be complaining.
