WE’LL MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES
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path that will one day lead him to being crowned a Ballon d’Or winner.
As if that wasn’t daunting enough, Dortmund also boast the likes of Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus and Thorgan Hazard in a considerable armoury.
It’s the biggest test Rangers have faced in a decade – but James Tavernier can’t wait.
The skipper said: “We’re looking forward to it. You always want a big name.
“What can you say? They have world-class players.
“As a footballer you always want to play against world-class players and what an occasion it could be.
“It is February but we are all excited for the draw and can’t wait for the game to come.”
Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall – a giant sloping terrace capable of cramming in up to 25,000 supporters – is one of European football’s great sights.
The escalating Covid situation may just dash the hopes of the Rangers faithful seeing their side in action at the Signal Iduna Park, with German football already back into lockdown mode.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made no mention of locking turnstiles back here when she addressed the Scottish Parliament yesterday and Tavernier is keeping fingers crossed they remain open.
He said: “It’s amazing that the fans are back in. From the start of the season it has made such a difference.
“But obviously if you’re looking at German football, capacities are going down and there are less people being allowed to go to the games.
“You don’t know whether it’s a matter of time before that happens over here.
“You hope it doesn’t but you always want everyone to be safe and health comes first.
“We’ve just got to see what the governing bodies say.”
Van Bronckhorst’s arrival as manager provided Rangers with a new spark at a time when their batteries were appearing to run flat.
From looking disjointed and disorganised under caretaker boss Davie McCallum in their Hampden howler against Hibs, Gers now appear purposeful with the Dutchman at the wheel and more like the side which shipped just 13 league goals all last season.
They can make it seven games unbeaten under the Dutchman if they take care of St Johnstone tonight but the skipper is setting his sights higher.
Tavernier – part of a backline
which has kept four clean sheets in the last six games – said: “Since we lost that Hibs game we have won every league game and drew against a good opponent in Lyon.
“The boss came in after that game (Hibs) and we have implemented his plans. We have moved on from that and got stronger and stronger.
“We’re extremely proud of the defensive record we kept last season.
“Going into this season you obviously want to replicate it or beat it. You want to get as close to it as possible.
“We obviously conceded quite a few more goals at the start of the season but now with the shape that we’re playing and the details we’re tuning into, it’s making opponents have fewer chances and if they do have chances, we’ve got the right bodies around it.
“We’re just constantly trying to work at it, trying to improve ourselves and trying to keep these clean sheets going because we know we’re going to create chances at the other end.”