THE KAMARA NEVER LIES
Leverkusen keeper says his Gers pal Glen has warned him to beware Ibrox bearpit
BAYER LEVERKUSEN keeper Lukas Hradecky doesn’t need the Ibrox lowdown from Finland pal Glen Kamara.
He already got a taste of what to expect in Scotland when he bumped into a travelling band of Rangers punters in Portugal.
The shot-stopper enjoyed some banter with a group of Gers fans who were staying in the German side’s hotel when they dumped Porto out in the Europa League last 32 the night after the Light Blues had beaten Braga.
Hradecky had a feeling they would meet again – and he’s hoping to sink a dram after getting one over his international mate Kamara on Thursday night.
The Finland No.1 said: “I know Glen very well. I’ve not sent him a message yet but I’ll get on to WhatsApp to wind him up!
“He’s a good guy and a very good player. We’ve obviously talked a lot about him being at Rangers when we’ve been on international duty.
“Glen’s told me all about the atmosphere at Ibrox. He said it’s incredible, especially in the derby and European games.
“He didn’t need to tell me, to be honest, as I know all about Rangers. Growing up I was interested in Rangers and Celtic – it’s a game I always noticed.
“I know the fans are passionate and I’m looking forward to experiencing it. I’ve never been to Scotland before but these are the stadiums you want to play in.
“There were actually some Rangers fans in our hotel when we were in Porto. They were over for the Braga game and we were making jokes about how we would get drawn together.
“I told them I’d be coming to Glasgow to win and then having a whisky to celebrate. It turned out we were right. They were great fun but I guess they might not be as nice this week!”
Hradecky grew up in the next town to former Ibrox striker Jonatan Johansson – who slayed Bayer back in 1998.
The Finnish frontman notched in the 2-1 first-leg win in Germany and was on the scoresheet again in the Glasgow return as Dick Advocaat’s side finished off the job with a 1-1 draw.
So Hradecky reckons Leverkusen owe Gers one.
He said: “Johansson comes from a town close to my family. It’s funny, someone mentioned to me he was part of the Rangers team who put Bayer Leverkusen out all those years ago.
“It will be up to us to get revenge for that one.”
Hradecky is aware of Steven Gerrard’s side’s domestic woes but insists the Ibrox men are still a threat in Europe.
The 30-year-old hailed Gers for creating history by getting to the last 16 but he’s out to end their remarkable adventure.
Hradecky said: “It is a difficult one. I know maybe things have not worked out how Rangers would like in Scotland but they have been very good in the Europa League.
“I don’t think we can pay too much attention to their results in the Scottish league. I don’t know, sometimes if you are far behind in second place then it can cut off the motivation.
“That won’t be an issue for them on Thursday. There are two games for a place in the quarter-finals and they deserve respect. We can’t afford to take our foot off the gas.
“Look at the journey they have been on to get to this stage. They started all the way back in the first qualifying round – no team has ever done that.
“It’s historic. It’s good to see Rangers at this level again. I know they had a tough few years but it’s good to see them back on their feet again.”
Hradecky admitted Leverkusen are flying right now.
The Germans are bang in the hunt to claim a Champions League spot in the Bundesliga and have lost just one of their last 13 games.
They leathered Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 on Saturday and there’s a feeling in the Rhineland this young side are coming to the boil. Brazilian kid Paulinho has made the breakthrough and the £19million signing bagged a double on his first start, while talented 20-year-old Kai Havertz was also on target, along with Karim Bellarabi. Bayer have their injury worries – with twins Lars and Sven Bender struggling along with playmaker Nadiem Amiri – but the stand-ins have not been too shabby. Hradecky said: “It was a good game if Rangers were spying on us! We are playing with a lot of confidence right now. “The two early goals on Saturday worked well for us and it allowed us to be petty dominant. “The team is on a good run and we have built up momentum. The good thing for us is we are not just relying on the same 10 players every week. “There’s been some injuries and some changes but we have been able to keep winning. “You look at Paulinho on Saturday, making his first start, and he was incredible. “Consistency was a bit of a problem for us but it’s something that we are achieving at the moment.”