Fightingspirit neverfaltered
OBITUARY
FERNANDO RICKSEN’S body may have failed him in the end but the fighting spirit that marked his playing career never faltered.
It is not the sight of the frail, wheelchair-bound figure that will be remembered by thousands of Rangers fans but rather the image of the jubilant midfielder leading the celebrations after skippering the side to their most dramatic title win.
Born in July 27, 1976 in Hoensbroek near the Dutch-German border, football ran in Ricksen’s blood. His grandfather Willem Szymiczek won a Dutch title with Limburgia in 1950 but, had the family elder had his choice, Ricksen would have made his name on the billiards table having finished third in the national championships aged just 12.
But the glamour offered by the footballing world proved too alluring.
“Have you ever heard of a truckload of girls swarming round a billiards player?” wrote Ricksen in his autobiography. “No. I made the right choice.”
Ricksen embarked on the football career that would eventually earn him 12 Holland caps. Having started out at Fortuna Sittard then AZ Alkmaar, he was spotted by Dick Advocaat who lured him to Ibrox in the summer of 2000 for a £3.75million fee.
His first taste of Old Firm action lasted just 22 minutes as he was hooked with Celtic running riot.
The change could not prevent a 6-2 defeat and Ricksen admitted his derby debut had been “the biggest humiliation” of his life.
But as he gradually adjusted to the demands of playing for the Light Blues he grew in stature. He helped new Gers boss Alex McLeish reclaim the league title in 2003 and had been appointed captain by the time Helicopter Sunday came around, Rangers taking the crown on goal difference, plus 73 to Celtic’s plus 72.
His form during that season saw him jointly awarded the SPFA player of the Year award alongside Celtic striker John Hartson.
However, he began to make the front pages just as regularly as the sport sections. He had a run-in with Celtic midfielder and next-door neighbour Alan Thompson, who he upset by screaming through his letterbox hours after Gers’ 2003 title win.
The final straw came just weeks after Paul Le Guen had taken over from McLeish in the June 2007.
He was banished from the squad following a “drunken incident” on a flight to their South Africa training camp.
Ricksen was made to confront his issues and sent to the Sporting Chance clinic. He said: “I’d been drunk and disorderly for years. I’d kicked my way through life like a football hooligan with an insatiable thirst.”
He was moved on to Zenit St Petersburg, joining up with Advocaat again.
The Russians lifted the UEFA Cup – defeating Rangers in the Final.
He finished his career back where it all started, with a three-year stint at Fortuna.
But his battling qualities were needed now more than ever as he broke the news on Dutch TV in 2013 that he was terminally ill with MND. Ricksen is survived by wife Veronika and daughter Isabella.