Martin calls for 'powerful' Rangers connection with the fans
The former MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton manager said: 'Every day I wake up and I'm honoured to be in this position. I feel extremely grateful for it. I'm excited by it and I will give it absolutely everything I've got. We all will.
Russell Martin spoke to the media ahead of his debut (Steve Welsh/PA)
'That's what this club demands, what the people demand, what the supporters demand, who will outstay all of us. I just want to put a team on the pitch that they are proud of.
'It has to start (on Tuesday) and they have to see something to be excited about and we have to see something to be excited about. The players have to feel something to be excited about and it's an amazing opportunity and game to do that.
'What we've seen in training has been amazing. They've come with fresh energy, with willingness and openness to new ideas, to new demands, to maybe different rules to what they've had before and they've been great the way they've embraced it.
'And now the biggest challenge for them is to do it in front of 50,000 people with a game that means so much to so many people. And, for any football player, I think it's the biggest test to be yourself in those situations.
⚽️ The winners of Rangers and Panathinaikos second qualifying round tie will face either FC Viktoria Plzeň or Servette FC in the @ChampionsLeague third qualifying round. pic.twitter.com/vvbnh24gZ0
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) July 21, 2025
'What we have seen over the last four weeks, the more chance we have of being successful. I hope they play with the same freedom, enjoyment and aggression and willingness to run.
'For the team, it will accelerate the learning. That will improve, whatever happens, there's no doubt about it.
'But I think one of the things that has to come out is that the supporters will leave feeling positively about their team, their new-look team, the way it's going to start to shape up.
'We'll be by no means the finished articled, there's a lot of work that needs to go in, but in four weeks from what we've seen to now, the group has been great and they have to put that on the pitch.
'I hope that the fans will leave feeling excited about what's to come and (there will) start being a real connection. Because I think if we can be connected, the whole club, Ibrox, here, the supporters, if this club has that, with that energy, I think it's going to take some stopping. I think it's really powerful.
Rangers players prepare for their season opener (Steve Welsh/PA)
'But we have to all believe in something and that will be how much the players are willing to win, the hunger, the character, the desire to show. And I'm confident that we'll see that.'
Martin's demand that his team play out from the back will ensure a different style to what Rangers fans have been accustomed to and the former Scotland hopes they can buy into that process.
'There will be times where it won't require much patience and there will be times where it will,' he said.
'It's not all going to be plain sailing, there will be some bumpy moments but we have to make sure that everyone can understand and see what we are trying to achieve and that the team has enough moments that people can feel excited about.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a minute ago
- BBC News
Lucy Bronze always had 'eye of the tiger', says early coach
England footballer Luzy Bronze always had the "eye of the tiger" with her determination to succeed, one of her early coaches has 33-year will line-up against Italy later in the semi-finals of the Women's Euro 2025 tournament having helped her country come back from two goals behind in the previous part in her seventh major competition, defender Bronze is one of England's most successful Jobson, who helped oversee her training at Alnwick in Northumberland more than 20 years ago, believes her talent was "obvious straight away". He told BBC Radio Newcastle he first became aware of the her when she was one of only a handful of girls to attend a football camp. "She came along with her brother. She wanted to impress and to train. It was a fantastic week."At the end of the camp we were playing in a game. I remember getting the ball in the middle of the field and getting wiped out in a tackle."I thought it was my brother Shaun [but], as I looked up, there was Lucy looking down at me as if to say 'come on, get up'."From a young age, she had it. One of her middle names is Tough. She's very tenacious and resilient." 'Best in the world' Jobson, who runs the Trident Soccer group with his brother, recalled how the pair helped Bronze get involved with training camps in the United States before she moved there aged 17 having won a scholarship with the University of North later went on to play for Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Lyon and Barcelona and is currently with Chelsea, having won five Champions League trophies, nine league titles and six domestic cups. Jobson said he was proud seeing Bronze score England's first goal against Sweden in their quarter-final comeback on Thursday before finding the net again in the penalty shoot-out."That game the other night was wonderful. It was great to see how much Lucy drove that team forward."It was eye of the tiger stuff out of Rocky. She galvanised the team."You can see from the moment the referee blows the whistle she wants to keep driving them forward. "For me, she's the best female footballer in the world." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
North Wales Chronicle
30 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sunderland close in on former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka
The PA news agency understands the Black Cats have agreed personal terms with the 32-year-old former Arsenal skipper and are attempting to thrash out a fee with Erik ten Hag's Bundesliga club. Switzerland international Xhaka, who began his career at Basel before heading for Borussia Monchengladbach, spent seven years with the Gunners and is well acquainted with England's top flight. He joined Arsenal in a £35million switch from Monchengladbach during the summer of 2016 and made 297 appearances for the club, winning two FA Cups, before returning to Germany with Leverkusen in July 2023. Xhaka, who has been caped 137 times by his country, won the league title at the end of his first season and made 49 appearances in all competitions, 10 of them in the Champions League, during the last campaign. A combative player, Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November 2019 after a heated exchange with home fans at the Emirates Stadium.
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Top Tech: Best Premier League TV deals with EE, Sky and Virgin's sports plans
The Premier League is weeks away from making a comeback, so TV writer Jake Hackney has broken down the latest deals that provide access to the biggest games from the top flight, as well as the EFL and Champions League. Football fans are counting down the days to the new Premier League season, and there's not long to wait. We're now just weeks away from the 2025/26 campaign, which kicks off on August 15 with Liverpool vs Bournemouth. The opening weekend also comprises several other must-see fixtures, including Wolves vs Man City, Chelsea vs Crystal Palace and Man United vs Arsenal. All of these games will be aired on Sky Sports, which is the leading broadcaster of the Premier League in the UK. From the new season, Sky is ramping up its top flight coverage from 128 matches to a 'record' minimum of 215, alongside coverage of the EFL, SPFL, WSL and Bundesliga. However, Sky isn't the only brand to offer Sky Sports coverage to its customers, with Virgin Media and EE also offering access with their own bundles. This means fans have several options if they want to enjoy the Premier League, as well as the Champions League and Europa League. Ahead of the new season, we've taken a look at the latest sports deals from Sky, Virgin and EE Sky's discounted sports package is the most affordable in our round-up, costing £35 per month for the flagship Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle. This price is for new customers only and is £336 less than the standard £49 price tag. For this, customers can watch nine Sky Sports channels including Main Event, Premier League, Football, F1, Golf and Tennis. There are also more than 100 regular TV channels such as Sky Atlantic, as well as free Netflix and Discovery+ subscriptions. This is only the basic Discovery+ plan though and doesn't include TNT Sports. This can be added to the package for £20 extra, compared to the £30.99 it costs when signing up directly. The same Sky package is available on a 31-day rolling basis for those who prefer flexibility, but it comes with a higher cost of £43 per month and £20 upfront. The main downside with Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle is that the price will go up to the standard £49 after the 24-month term, but this marks the end of a contract and customers are free to cancel if they wish. Sky is also one of the many providers which increases its monthly prices every April. This year saw a 6.2% rise on its TV packages, and while the firm hasn't yet confirmed the April 2026 changes, we may expect something similar. Virgin Media Virgin Media has quietly launched a Summer of Sports sale, with a selection of TV and broadband packages that come with Sky Sports access now more than £330 off. The sale runs until September 2 and is available on three bundle, including the Bigger Combo bundle + Sports. Reduced from £65.99 to £54.99 – a £264 drop – this includes more than 200 TV channels, with eight from Sky Sports such as Main Event, Football and F1. It also provides 516Mbps fibre broadband and is the 'lowest ever monthly price' for this plan. Also at a record low is the Biggest Combo bundle, which offers the biggest discount of £336. Down from £78.99 to £64.99, this offers the same TV and Sky Sports channels and 516Mbps broadband, but also throws in Sky Cinema and a free Netflix subscription. Last up is Virgin's 'best value' package, the Mega Volt bundle. Virgin's most pricey plan is now £120 off as it's dropped from £84.99 to £79.99, but it comes with a lot. With this, customers can enjoy more than 230 TV channels including Sky Sports HD and Sky Cinema HD, plus Netflix, 1,130Mbps broadband and an O2 SIM card with unlimited data, minutes and texts. Virgin also offers a discounted TNT Sports add-on for £18, cheaper than the £30.99 it costs to join direct. Similarly to Sky, a downside of the 24-month plans is that they will increase at least twice during the minimum term. For example, Virgin has already confirmed the Bigger Combo bundle + Sports will rise to £58.49 from April 2026 and £61.99 from April 2027. EE Like Virgin, EE's packages include a triple whammy of TV, sports channels and fibre broadband, but there are some major differences. The brand offers two sports packages, 'Sport' and 'Big Sport'. EE Sport comes with all four TNT Sports channels through Discovery+ Premium, so members can enjoy select games from the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League. It also comes with EE's entry-level Full Fibre 74 Essentials broadband at a total monthly cost of £52.99. However, there's no Sky Sports channels included here. For that, customers must opt for Big Sport, which includes full Sky Sports access through a NOW Sports subscription, on top of TNT Sports and Discovery+ Premium and Full Fibre 74. This bumper bundle comes in at a total cost of £77.99 per month, the most expensive in our round-up. While customers get a lot for their money, it works out more than Virgin 's comparable plan and will eventually increase to £87.99 per month after the April 2027 price rise. However, EE offers customers the flexibility of switching packages at any time during their subscription. This means that while the Premier League takes a break each summer, members could move over to the EE Entertainment bundle to enjoy Sky Cinema until the football returns. The Verdict There's no 'best' deal in this round-up, it ultimately boils down to needs and budget. Those looking for Sky Sports alongside superfast broadband may want to consider Virgin's bundles, while those simply wanting to enjoy the new football season could opt for Sky's TV and sport package. However, those torn between Virgin's and EE's options will want to take a close look at the price and what's included, as there is a clear winner among the two. Virgin's Bigger Combo bundle + Sports with 516Mbps broadband and TNT Sports bolted on as an extra comes to £72.99 per month. While EE's Big Sport plan offers the same TNT channels, it doesn't include regular TV and also offers slower broadband, but for £5 more each month. This comes to £120 over the life of the plan – a big difference considering customers get less for their money. Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle is the cheapest, but that's because it's something of a no frills plan. That's because it includes around half as many channels as Virgin's TV packages and there's no broadband included, but for shoppers who are happy with their current internet setup and just want to kick back and enjoy the football, this could be the ideal choice.
