CUMMINGS TO EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE
JASON CUMMINGS takes a moment to consider whether he missed the public profile he enjoys in Scotland during six months at Nottingham Forest. ‘Do you know what, you might be surprised but I actually enjoyed being under the radar a bit,’ he starts. ‘I had a good time at Forest. It’s obviously not as intense down there, so I could walk down to the shops and it was sound.’ A grin begins to form on his face. ‘Well, I maybe did miss it a wee bit,’ he admits. ‘That’s why I’m back, I suppose…’ Let’s be honest, Cummings is never going to become an introvert allergic to the limelight. His eclectic collection of tattoos — which include a Joker smile on his right hand and, wonderfully bizarrely, Sandy from Grease on his left arm — provide visual representation of an ebullient personality. Self-belief exudes from the 22-year-old. And that’s not a bad quality to have when 50,000 people inside Ibrox expect you to deliver. On loan at Rangers until the end of the season, with an option to make a permanent move from Forest, Cummings could make his debut for Graeme Murty’s side in tonight’s eagerly-anticipated Premiership meeting with Aberdeen. Scrutiny and pressure await. But that is precisely how Cummings likes it. He claims his mental make-up is perfectly suited to the relentless demands that come with employment at Rangers. ‘It does take a certain character to play for a Rangers or a Celtic, even,’ he argues. ‘It takes a different character, I think. But I feel I have that character to play for Rangers. ‘I just cannot wait to get started, honestly. I think I’ll embrace it, that’s the best word. I’ll embrace it. I’m just going to embrace the full six months, really. ‘We’ll see what happens after that. But I just want to enjoy my time here and then see what happens. I’m still a Forest player, so I’ll need to speak to them at the end of the six months and take it from there. ‘That’s my character. I do come alive when there’s more
pressure and in bigger games and atmospheres. I feel that reflects my personality in these bigger games. ‘That was another reason for coming to Rangers because every game is going to be hostile. They are all big games and the atmosphere will be huge, so I think I fit that character to be a Rangers player.’ All the ingredients appear in place for Cummings to become a cult hero at Ibrox. Only goals need to be added. But where does this confidence come from? ‘I’m not sure, even at school I was always a wee bit of the class clown,’ he smiles. ‘Maybe it’s my mum and dad. I don’t know.’ Dad David took to Twitter last week to publicly express pride that his son was now a Rangers player. ‘My old man was buzzing with all the new followers and likes he got with that,’ laughs Cummings. ‘I think he’d had a few beers that night, too — don’t drink and tweet! ‘He’s ecstatic for me to play for Rangers. Most of my family and friends are Rangers and Hearts fans, they’ve always been on that side. ‘A few mates who didn’t speak to me when I was at Hibs have started to message me again and ask what’s been happening. It’s just football.’ Cummings felt somewhat starved of the sport at Forest. A £1million move south from Easter Road saw Mark Warburton use him both infrequently and in less familiar positions. When Warburton was then sacked and replaced by Aitor Karanka, there was a danger of first-team involvement drifting even further away. Former Hibs manager Alan Stubbs has admitted being ‘surprised’ that his one-time protégé chose to exit Forest so swiftly. Cummings insists the chance to come to Rangers was simply too good to turn down. ‘At first it was an option to stay at Forest, until I found out that Rangers were in for me and then it was a no-brainer,’ he adds. ‘Who can turn down Rangers? Obviously, it was Celtic for him (Stubbs) and I don’t think he could turn that down. ‘What have I missed about Scottish football? To be honest, I’ve just missed playing games. I’ve been down there and not played as many games as I feel I should be playing. That’s the main thing I’ve missed. ‘I’ve missed the bigger games, too. At Hibs, I enjoyed playing against Hearts and Rangers in front of the big crowds. ‘I think everybody in Scottish football knows me. It helps that I’ve been up here, I’ve played and I’ve done well.’ A debut and a goal against Aberdeen would obviously be the perfect way to start. Cummings had hoped to display his Joker celebration — holding the tattooed smile in front of his face — if he scored on a first Scotland appearance against Holland in November. He didn’t and neither did he find the net in his three subsequent outings for Forest. ‘I’ve got this new tattoo so, hopefully, you might see it against Aberdeen,’ he adds. ‘The smile is just to tell everyone not to take life too seriously — just smile. Hopefully, you can see it every week.’