I went to same school as Celtic hero James Forrest, I used his poster on the wall as inspiration for my football career
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FORR REAL I went to same school as Celtic hero James Forrest, I used his poster on the wall as inspiration for my football career
The youngster made his debut at Celtic Park but is now looking for a new club
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The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
New Rangers boss makes bold claims following return to Ibrox
Rangers have appointed Russell Martin, formerly of MK Dons, Swansea, and Southampton, as their new head coach on a three-year contract. Martin will be accompanied by assistant head coach Matt Gill and performance coach Rhys Owen. He aims to restore Rangers' success and challenge Celtic 's dominance in the Scottish Premiership, following his dismissal from Southampton in December. Martin, who briefly played for the club in 2018, expressed his determination to bring success back to Rangers, emphasising the importance of winning matches and trophies. The appointment is part of significant changes at Rangers, including a new majority shareholding led by Andrew Cavenagh and the arrival of sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Russell Martin is another Rangers loser as Hotline hands Celtic the Treble already with panic button untouched
As predicted, Rangers ' new manager brings all the Bhoys to the Hotline yard. Russell Martin is the man tasked with getting Gers closer to their dominant rivals after five years of watching their rivals lift trophy after very recently. Battling Brendan Rodgers at the top of the table will be the bare minimum expected from Martin, although judging by the initial reaction, hopes are not high amongst the Ibrox faithful. emailed: "What a joke us making Russell Martin as manager. We might as well just give Celtic the Treble just now. Who at rangers thought it was a good idea to bring him to Rangers after he just got Southampton relegated and they just sacked him 5 or 6 months ago? So some idiot at Rangers said lets make him our next manager so we will. What a joke new owners are allowing this to happen." Lewis Fotheringham, Mount Ellen, said: "While I will give Russell Martin a chance as our sorry Head Coach, it is not exactly the type of appointment I had in mind. I felt we needed a high-profile manager to counter what Celtic has with Brendan Rodgers. Instead, we have got an inexperienced coach that has had mixed success in England. It seems like the club has gone for the cheap option again." Peter Cooperwhite added: "Now that it's confirmed Russell Martin is new Rangers manager, definitely not a first choice for me to be honest. I hope Thelwell has done a lot of thinking on this one. "Lets all get behind him give him a chance. His recruitment will be judged closely as we need at least six good players who will hit the ground right away as Europe qualifiers are getting closer. I hope his style of play is what Rangers need to achieve trophies." George McLeish wanted the "Rangers men" kept on. He emailed: Why are Rangers looking at another failure to be the next manager? Another non Scot who has won nothing in England and was sacked as a failure? "We had a team of Rangers die hards who should have been given at least a year's contract to try and get players who have Rangers blood in them. The board have hired another loser again. I have supported Rangers for over 60 years and have never seen such a board of directors over the the last 10 years as this lot, all they care about is the money , and wearing the Rangers tie. We need Rangers people in, not losers." And it seems Celtic fans are as giddy at Martin's arrival as their blue counterparts are scunnered. Mark McManus, Purley, emailed: "So Rangers have got their man. Serial winner Russell Martin joins the 49ers billion dollar club. I thought someone like Mourinho was to be next up. "No disrespect but are the owners saving their money to buy up top quality players like Modric, Vardy etc al. Regular Rangers fans on here, Flett, Lowe et al must be rubbing their hands in glee at how their club will be transformed next season ready for the quadruple cups." Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton, predicts the same ofd banners will be out at Ibrox before long. He said: "Rangers bringing in a manager who achieved one solitary win out of seventeen in the premier league won't have Brendan Rodgers hitting the panic button. "My guess they never got their Hollywood candidate was that the predicted war chest of transfer funds wasn't sufficient. Lose the first Glasgow derby and the time for change banners will be quickly reintroduced." Kenny Wilson, Moffat, added: "With Rangers now getting their new manager, who let's be honest has an abysmal record, do they still think Celtic are petrified of them ? I like many fellow fans won't be having many sleepless nights over the summer. All the hype about a big name coming and that's who they get. The comedy roadshow continues." Andy Logan Livingston, wonders who else was interviewed if Martin was the outstanding choice. He emailed: "So Rangers didn't get Jurgen Klopp as was mentioned in here, a real upgrade though in a manager with a win rate of less than 40% in lower leagues in England. The outstanding candidate? Who else was interviewed other passengers in that taxi??"
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Jermain Defoe's message for 'lucky' Russell Martin with Rangers warning issued
EXCLUSIVE: Russell Martin will be the man to carry Rangers forward for the foreseeable future, but the club's former striker and 55th title-winner, Jermain Defoe, has issued a warning Jermain Defoe admits that any coach who manages Rangers is "lucky," but warns the newly-appointed Russell Martin that the job comes with unfathomable pressure. After Barry Ferguson 's temporary spell in charge following Philippe Clement being shown the exit door in February, former Southampton, Swansea and MK Dons boss Martin will now lead Gers into the future. The 39-year-old is familiar with Ibrox's surroundings, having endured a lacklustre loan spell there a decade ago, but returns under vastly different circumstances, expected to fight for a league title on the back of a bitterly disappointing season. Defoe, whose two-year stint in Glasgow was marked by winning Rangers' 55th and most recent Scottish Premiership crown, has spoken on the managerial position at Ibrox. Speaking in March, he said that anyone who gets the job would be 'lucky' - though warns that coming second behind Celtic is the same as coming last. "It is a huge football club, and whoever gets that job, you know, they're a lucky manager," said Defoe, speaking courtesy of bet365's Sub On, Play On product, before Martin's arrival. "I was in a team where we won… it was 55 league titles. It was the special one, really. The one that the fans were craving - stop Celtic from doing 10 in a row, that sort of stuff. But to have that experience. It was amazing. I still keep in contact with a lot of the people there at the club. "Of course, when we won the league, with Steven [Gerrard] the squad that we had. And obviously, I left and Calvin Bassey left. And everyone sort of left and Gio [Giovanni van Bronckhorst] came in - so close to winning the European trophy. "But then you just thought that the club would sort of kick on from then and sort of just dominate and go on and win the league every year. And it's just not happened. It's been frustrating to sit back and see. "And even more recently, the gap between us and Celtic at the minute. The manager [Clement] has lost his job, which is part and parcel now. Especially at a club like that, where it's just all about winning. That's the sort of mentality up there. The sort of like demand, the pressure that you get from the board and the fans. You have to win. You know, if you come second, you might as well come last." Celtic have won the last four Scottish league titles, with Defoe's Gers team the ones who prevented the previous streak being extended to ten-in-a-row. The former England striker therefore looks back on his time at Ibrox fondly. "I love that club," continued Defoe. "I mean, I can sit here for hours and talk about that club, with what I experienced there. Obviously, when I got linked with Rangers, of course I knew that it was a big club. "From a young kid watching Ali McCoist, who I've come across in media now, one of the nicest guys, humble, iconic figure at the football club, Graeme Souness, again, when he was on Sky. So I always knew it was a big club. "But when you go, you have to go and actually experience it. And even when you walk into Ibrox, you can feel the history. It's weird. You have to experience it. "And you walk down the tunnel, you're reminded of the players that have been there and won trophies. And you just want to be amongst those players."
