Heart scare won’t derail the dreams of Goldson

NEW RECRUIT EAGER TO EMBRACE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHALLENGE

KEEP faith. The simple, two-word message is tattooed on Connor Goldson’s legs. This is the motto by which he has lived, overcoming adversity on his journey to become a £3million Rangers signing.

The heart surgery Goldson underwent in February of last year marks him out as a footballer with an extraordinary back story. When a routine cardiac screening detected a possible issue, there was initial doubt over whether he could continue his career.

It was swiftly assuaged. Goldson was back playing first-team football five months later, going on to experience the English Premier League with Brighton before Steven Gerrard came calling this summer.

Sitting in the courtyard of the Rangers team hotel near Malaga, the 25-year-old exudes an eagerness to get on and create a new story.

The recent birth of a baby son, Caleb, with girlfriend Kayleigh Higson provides profound delight in his personal life. Now Goldson’s professional world is about to encompass the challenge of restoring Rangers as a trophywinning force.

Excitement about the future is evident, yet reminders of what he endured to make it possible go beyond the scar on his chest.

‘I’ve got a few tattoos,’ he said, pointing towards his right arm. ‘Dream as you’ll live forever, live as you’ll die today… I had that one before.

‘There is “keep faith” on my legs. That one was after my operation. There are a few little messages to myself from different times.’

Goldson speaks about heart surgery in the way some might address the removal of a wisdom tooth. Rather than seek sympathy, his biggest frustration was how it interrupted his quest to remain a regular pick for Brighton.

‘I’m quite strong mentally anyway,’ said Goldson. ‘As soon as I knew I was having the operation it was just a case of: “Yeah you’ve got to have it, you’re 24 years old, have the operation and get back playing football”.

‘I was back in two months. I think everyone made such a massive deal out of it, which I can understand because it was a heart operation, but realistically I was back playing football in two months. People do their knee and are out for a year, so I was probably lucky.

‘It was a bit iffy with the first few people I saw, they couldn’t really make the diagnosis and they couldn’t tell me 100 per cent that I would be back playing.

‘But from the first time I saw the surgeon he told me as soon as my chest healed I’d be back playing in six to eight weeks.

‘I had never felt a symptom. It was just a routine check-up that they picked up.

‘Something was a little bit dilated. Not much but once the specialist had seen that, it would have been on his head to let me play football again. Many players will be playing with the same thing I had.

‘It was just basically a broken chest bone and it healed in six weeks. I was back running on holiday within four weeks. I was straight back in pre-season.’

By that point, however, Republic of Ireland international Shane Duffy and the highly-rated Lewis Dunk had established themselves as Chris Hughton’s first-choice defensive pairing.

Goldson was left as next in line. Making ten appearances last term wasn’t enough to bring satisfaction.

The chance to become a key component of Gerrard’s Rangers revamp was, therefore, one he was eager to grasp.

‘It has been amazing,’ he said. ‘It is the summer I wanted.

‘We had a healthy baby, our first child and then I got the move I wanted to happen.

‘I haven’t played much football in the past two seasons, so I just want to get started.

‘When the interest was concrete and I knew Rangers were making a bid, then I sat down with my family and decided this was the right move for me.

‘I wasn’t in a bad place, but I was obviously third choice at Brighton and I’m someone who always wants to play football every week.

‘I also wanted to be at a club that is used to winning. There were a few other teams interested in me but I didn’t really want to be at a mid-table team or one that I didn’t think could push.

‘I feel there’s a sense of optimism here, where the club is going in the right direction.’

Indeed, Goldson believes Rangers must target an end to their seven-year wait for silverware during Gerrard’s debut season in charge. That means breaking the stranglehold Celtic have held over back-to-back Trebles.

‘We have got to want to win something,’ said Goldson. ‘I think it has been a few years now since Rangers have won anything.

‘With the fanbase and the size of the club, the supporters are craving success. That was a reason for me coming here — I want to come here and win things.

‘That has got to be our aim. We have to do as well as we can in the league, we have to do as well as we can in the cups and as well as we can in the Europa League.

‘Listen, everyone knows we are going to go into the season being underdogs. But that is something you have to do in football and underdogs can always win things.

‘Obviously, Celtic have had a good few years but we have to now put that behind us. It’s a new season, a fresh season and if we approach every game right — whether it be the smallest game in the league or the Celtic game — we have to go into every game believing we can win it.’

Gerrard views Goldson as a natural leader, someone with the character to thrive within the pressurised Old Firm environment. It makes him an obvious candidate in the current competition to be named as the new Ibrox captain.

‘It would be unbelievable but, at the same time, that is the manager’s decision to make,’ said Goldson, who skippered first club Shrewsbury at the age of 21.

‘There are people that have been here a lot longer than me, people who have already been captain.

‘So I can’t sit here and say: “Yes, I want to be captain of the football club”. It would be amazing but it’s not for me to talk about at the minute.

‘I’ve always been a leader. I don’t know how or why. It’s probably just my passion for football, my passion to want to win games.

‘From a young age, I was made to do that at Shrewsbury. I think that made me into an adult very early, having been a captain. We got promoted so it was a great season and since then I have taken it on. It is the job. Sometimes you have to lead at centre-half.’

“I was only out of football for two months, so I was lucky”