THE BLUES BROTHERS
Candeias confident he and Morelos have unfinished business at Ibrox
IMPORTED to Rangers by Pedro Caixinha, Daniel Candeias and Alfredo Morelos formed a friendship that has lasted far longer than their former manager’s ill-fated reign.
Candeias is confident it will continue to endure in Glasgow for some time yet. Despite the persistent speculation surrounding Morelos’ future, the Portuguese winger believes his colleague’s heart will remain set on delivering success at Ibrox.
The 22-year-old Colombian scored a total of 18 goals for the club last season, yet his form clearly dipped after Rangers rebuffed offers worth in excess of £7million from Chinese outfit Beijing Renhe.
With several glaring misses to his name in Old Firm matches, Morelos cut a frustrated figure come the end of the campaign.
The transfer speculation has persisted throughout this summer. Clubs from China, Turkey and France are all keen on Morelos, but new manager Steven Gerrard has already spoken of how he and his staff ‘love’ the player’s attributes.
Candeias has added his own voice of encouragement during the club’s current training camp in Spain. Often acting as impromptu translator for Morelos, the 30-year-old expects to still be lining up alongside the frontman when the Gerrard era gets underway in earnest.
‘We are good friends because Alfredo only speaks Spanish,’ smiled Candeias, who had a spell in La Liga with Granada in 2015. ‘He doesn’t speak English yet.
‘He is important to Rangers and he is very happy now.
‘He is working hard and I think he will have a good season.
‘I have told him to make sure he stays. I’ve told him it is important for the team. He scored a lot of goals last season. I’m sure at this moment he is only thinking about Rangers — not other clubs.’
Candeias argues that Morelos has time on his side before fulfilling his stated ambition of a move to England or another major European league. He also believes the player’s critics should bear in mind his relative youth.
‘People forget how young he is,’ continued Candeias. ‘Alfredo is only 22 years old. He is a young player and he has plenty of years ahead of him before he changes club. I think this moment is for Rangers and I think he will only get better.’
Candeias will certainly offer Morelos a persistently positive appraisal of life in Scotland. Having been farmed out on loan during time with both Porto and Benfica, leaving the latter in a £700,000 transfer last summer brought a welcome new start.
He swiftly won the admiration of Ibrox supporters with his energetic style.
A largely positive personal impact was rewarded with an extended contract that runs through to the summer of 2020.
‘In Portugal, I played with big clubs in Porto and Benfica, but Rangers is such a big club,’ said Candeias. ‘The fans give fantastic support and I like to play for this jersey.
‘Scottish football demands hard work. It is different to Portugal or Turkey or other places I have played. But I like Scottish football. I think it is a better style for me.
‘Nothing has really surprised me about it. I had seen Rangers and Celtic play in the Champions League in the past, so I knew there was a good league here.
‘I signed a new contract and, of course, I want to stay. I am very happy and I want to be here for more years.
‘The first year was good for me on a personal level. The team really welcomed me and I think I adapted to Scottish football. Now it is important we get better as a team because I want to win trophies with this club.’
Candeias insists that contentment was not disrupted by the sacking of compatriot Caixinha last October. Even so, he accepts the need for Rangers to radically improve under Gerrard after a chaotic campaign that saw Caixinha, Graeme Murty and Jimmy Nicholl all take charge at various points.
‘Pedro was the man who brought me to Rangers,’ added the winger. ‘But I have a contract with Rangers, not Pedro. I play for the club — not the coach.
‘It was also a difficult season last time because we changed the gaffer a few times. That can be hard for players, but that is all part of football. Now we start again and, hopefully, the start of something special.
‘There are always changes when you get a new coach. Every coach is different. But there is a really good feeling about what will happen this season.’ Securing silverware is the obvious ambition after seven years without a major honour. That may well mean having to defeat Celtic along the way — redressing the misery of last season’s derbies.
Candeias, who scored in a 3-2 defeat at Ibrox in March, was involved as Brendan Rodgers’ double Treble winners followed a 4-0 rout in the Scottish Cup semi-final with a 5-0 thrashing that clinched the league title.
‘It is difficult to speak about these games,’ he grimaced. ‘The feeling was not good. It is hard. When the rival wins the league after playing against you in a game like that, it is so difficult.
‘But now that is in the past. What we are focusing on now is the future.
‘Of course, you can still use that feeling. This season is another season. We have a new start and we all want to win trophies with this club.
‘I hope we can win the league. It will be hard, but Rangers have some great players and there is a good team spirit within the group. That is important if you want to win trophies. I believe in my team. But every opponent in Scotland is difficult, not only Celtic.’
Candeias has relished the preparatory graft in Andalusia as Gerrard prepares his squad for that challenge.
‘Pre-season has been hard work, but that is important for the body,’ he added.
‘The season is going to be long, so this is the time to work hard and get the benefit of the results.
‘The players know they need to work hard to be ready for the start of the season.’