TOUGH GUIDE TO EUROPE
Murphy Well prepared for battle
Compared to most of his Rangers team-mates Jamie Murphy is a Euro veteran.
Along with comeback keeper Allan McGregor, the 28-year-old is one of few players in Steven Gerrard’s squad with experience of continental competition.
And he’s hoping that will prove vital when it comes to the Ibrox side’s bid to reach the Europa League group stage.
The journey begins on Thursday in the first qualifying round against Macedonian minnows FK Shkupi.
Murphy can’t wait to sample European football with his boyhood club, having been fed a diet of Champions League nights as a fan growing up.
The former Brighton winger, who joined Gers on a permanent deal this summer, is used to competing against foreign outfits from his time at Motherwell.
He’s still the Steelmen’s top European goalscorer with seven, having featured in both Europa League and Champions League qualifiers.
Now Murphy believes he and Scotland goalie McGregor can help the players who have never operated at that level.
Murphy said: “Myself and Allan can help the others. Playing in Europe is a different thing from league football.
“And McGregor especially can be a big influence because he has been there and done it in the past with Rangers in Europe.
“I can tell the boys a few stories about playing in Europe – but Allan will probably be able to tell better ones.
“It’s great to have Allan in the changing room going into these games. He has won titles, Trebles and played on the biggest stage with this club.
“So he’s always there for advice with the younger boys. And some of the older ones who have not played in Europe.
“I played loads of games in Europe for Motherwell against good sides like Panathinaikos and Levante. I’m still the club’s all-time top scorer in Europe.
“I’ve always enjoyed that level. It was a big start to the season playing against teams ranked higher than us but it was a chance to perform. It brought out the best in me.”
The long-term goal for Rangers is to get back to the Champions League.
But after years of turmoil at Ibrox, Gerrard’s immediate aim is to target the Europa group phase.
Murphy knows how hard that will be in the new gaffer’s first season – especially with four qualifiers to negotiate.
But the wide man says they have to start somewhere if they’re to return to the level he remembers as a kid.
He said: “I remember coming to quite a few Champions League games at Ibrox as a fan.
“I was at the Manchester United game here when Wayne Rooney scored late on.
“And games against Porto and Inter Milan when we were reaching the last 16. Those games stick in my head, as well as the run to the UEFA Cup Final.
“But right now we’re taking one game at a time and we can’t wait for Thursday.
“We’ve been focusing on it since we came back and all our energy will go into it. We don’t know much about them but we’ll look at videos in the next few days.
“We’re well aware that Shkupi will be well up for it. I’m sure they’re looking forward to playing in Europe just as much as we are. “So we have to go out and perform.” Murphy knows the resurgence of Gers may not happen overnight.
But he’s praying a surge in Europe will help get the club to where Gerrard wants it. He said: “I remember being down in Brighton, hearing we’d been knocked out by Progres.
“Clubs like Rangers shouldn’t be put out that early and it’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
“Everyone could see the disappointment on my face. Connor Goldson will tell you that.
“It was because of where this club has been in the past. It has been through tough times but we can get it back to where it was.
“The manager wants this to be a team people fear. He doesn’t want clubs to come to Ibrox thinking: ‘We’ve got a chance.’
“That’s what it was like, everyone feared coming to Ibrox. That’s what we need. But it’s up to us to do it.”