Role model Davis has so much more to offer, says Feeney
“COOL-AS-ICE” Rangers midfielder Steven Davis can carry on playing at the top level because of his exemplary commitment, according to former Northern Ireland team-mate Warren Feeney.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed a memorable season, taking his cap haul to a Northern Ireland record of 124 and winning the Scottish Premiership title.
The Uefa Cup finalist is targeting further glory, with Rangers hosting Slavia Prague in the Europa League last-16 tomorrow after a 1-1 draw in the Czech capital.
And he looks set to eclipse Peter Shilton’s UK record of 125 caps later this month.
Davis is out of contract at the end of the season but Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has expressed hope he will sign on again after tipping him as a Player of the Year contender.
“Steven Davis is just a machine,” said Feeney, who is manager of Bulgarian second-tier leaders Pirin Blagoevgrad. “It seems as if he has been around for 100 years but he has shown his class.
“He has been instrumental in Rangers winning the league and, with Steven Gerrard being a midfielder as well, it just shows the confidence he has got in what Steven Davis is all about.
“He just keeps going, nothing fazes him. He just keeps going and going with the level of performance, which is exceptional to play at that level and internationally.
“It’s just his composure, he settles things down and keeps things simple. Nothing fazes him and he’s a great person off the pitch. With his wife Tracey, they are a really down-to-earth family.
“I don’t see why he can’t keep going. He has proved he is cool as ice and he looks after himself. And I don’t think there’s one person who has met him who would say anything different. He is just a very humble boy.”
Davis is often name-checked by younger Rangers players as setting an example of the gym and training-ground work needed to excel.
And with 47 appearances for club and country this season, his regime is still standing the former Aston Villa, Southampton and Fulham player in good stead.
“He sets the standard,” said former Dundee United forward Feeney, who won 46 caps for Northern Ireland. “Steven is from the older generation where you had to work, where nowadays sometimes these kids are handed things too soon.
“Years ago, if some of the stories came out now you could make a fortune with the history of what went on with these coaches and the first-team pros, but that’s what made us what we were.”
Meanwhile, Rangers claim their fans are “fully aligned” with their stay-at-home messages ahead of Sunday’s scheduled Celtic Park trip.
The club held talks with groups yesterday morning amid uncertainty over whether the Scottish Premiership encounter will go ahead.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for ongoing messages from both Celtic and Rangers before a final decision is taken in the coming days.
The game was put into jeopardy after thousands of Rangers fans breached lockdown rules to gather and celebrate their title victory earlier this month, with the club’s response criticised by the Scottish government.
The newly-crowned Scottish champions wrote on their Twitter account: “Rangers can confirm that we met with supporters groups and key influencers this morning, in relation to the Old Firm game at Parkhead on Sunday.
“We are very pleased that our support is fully aligned on our messaging which has been underlined by both our manager and captain over the weekend.
“Stay at home. Stay safe. Support the NHS. Support #Rangersfc.”
A Celtic delegation, including skipper Scott Brown, met with health officials on Monday for a briefing on Scotland’s position.
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KEVIN de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan struck early as Manchester City eased into the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Borussia Monchengladbach.
The pair netted in the opening 18 minutes of the second leg of the last-16 tie in Budapest, securing a 2-0 victory and wrapping up a comfortable 4-0 aggregate success for Pep Guardiola’s quadruple-chasing side.
De Bruyne set City on their way at the Puskas Arena with a stunning long-range strike after 12 minutes before Gundogan tucked away his 15th of the season after a fine run by Phil Foden.
The result kept City’s bid for four trophies firmly on track, although tougher tests will lie ahead in Europe as they return to the quarter-final stage that has proved their undoing in the past three seasons.
The Premier League leaders were dominant in the first leg at the same venue and it was clear from early on a similar story would play out. The Bundesliga side had lost their previous six games — all since it was announced coach Marco Rose would be leaving for rivals Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season — and they never looked like reversing that trend.
Guardiola switched tactics from the weekend win at Fulham, dropping strikers Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero to the bench and reverting to a false nine. De Bruyne chiefly played that central role, although he interchanged with others, and the plan worked superbly.
City controlled the game in almost all aspects from the outset and had their first serious chance after seven minutes when Joao Cancelo clipped a clever ball into the box for Foden.
The England youngster was unable to make clean contact with his volley and Yann Sommer pushed away, but the Swiss could do little about De Bruyne’s ferocious strike six minutes later.
The Belgian fired into the roof of the net with his weaker left foot after collecting a pass from Riyad Mahrez 20 yards out.
Gundogan doubled the lead six minutes later after a brilliant run by Foden, who turned inside his own half and broke away to play in the German with a nolook pass. Gundogan made no mistake as he placed the ball into the bottom corner.
To their credit, Monchengladbach tried to play positively. Lars
Stindl and Marcus Thuram both managed to force saves from Ederson, while Breel Embolo shot across the face of goal.
But City threatened more, with Mahrez picking out Gundogan in the area only for Sommer to clear and De Bruyne testing the keeper from a free-kick.
Mahrez twice threatened again and Foden had an effort blocked.
City got some minutes out of Aguero and Raheem Sterling in the closing stages and Mahrez had further opportunities when he shot over and then wide.
MAN CITY: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias (Laporte 70), Cancelo (Zinchenko 63), Rodri (Fernandinho 63), Gundogan (Sterling 70), Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden, Silva (Aguero 75).
Subs not used: Ake, Jesus, Steffen, Torres, Mendy, Carson, Garcia.
MONCHENGLADBACH: Sommer, Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi (Jantschke 88), Bensebaini (Wendt 88), Neuhaus, Zakaria, Hofmann, Stindl (Traore 80), Thuram (Plea 65), Embolo (Wolf 65).
Subs not used: Lang, Kramer, Herrmann, Beyer, Lazaro, Sippel, Grun.
Referee: Sergey Karasev (Russia)
Man of the match: De Bruyne
Match rating: 7/10