Van Bronckhorst has an eye on prizes with his ‘trophy mentality’
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has laid out his ‘trophy mentality’ for Rangers after agreeing to become the 17th permanent manager in club history.
The Dutchman reflected back to last season when James Tavernier lifted the SPFL Premiership title and is keen to build on the confidence that the championship brought, by imparting his stamp and dominant Dutch-hewn philosophy on the team.
And van Bronckhorst, who himself had a glittering time at Rangers accruing five trophies in just three years under Dick Advocaat and Alex Mcleish plus further silverware with Arsenal and Barcelona, stated they would continue working hard for a repeat as Rangers “are always a club who wants to win prizes and win trophies”.
“You see the team is in a good moment, they have been working very hard to become the team they are now,” he said.
“Steven [Gerrard] did a great job in helping them become as strong as they are now. It's just the case of continuing this positivity, to help the club, help the team become even better.
“I think we are always a club who wants to win prizes and win trophies. I had that as a player, I also have that mentality as a coach.
“[The squad] is very good, winning the title last season has given the team a lot of confidence.
“It has given the club a moment to cherish and celebrate. , for me that's the desire you need to have to become successful, to win prizes. I think if I look back in my career and look back at the prizes I won as a coach, those are the moments you work hard for. We are working hard to achieve many more for this club.”
After entering the fray to replace Steven Gerrard following the Englishman’s move to Aston Villa van Bronckhorst held talks with sporting director Ross Wilson, inset, and has enjoyed “open communication” since their initial meeting last weekend.
The Dutchman was announced as Rangers’ manager on Thursday evening but knew he had the job 48 hours earlier after presenting his thoughts and plans for the club he knows well.
“I was brought up in the Dutch system, playing with teams who always try and attack, be dominant,” van Bronckhorst explained to Rangerstv. “We had it the Rangers team, the Dutch team, Barcelona, all capable of being very dominant.
“I like to be dominant as a coach as well. That philosophy doesn’t change. On the training pitch, games, you have got to have the same thinking. I am looking forward to bring that into the team.”
Van Bronckhorst says he still regularly keeps contact with former team-mates from his time in Scotland, which ended in 2001 – however he will also be re-united with one figure from that era who has stood the course in the corridors at Ibrox – kitman Jimmy Bell.
“Jimmy Bell is a special person. In the first days at Rangers, I couldn’t have met a better, true Scotsman from the beginning. It was difficult for me to understand him but, for me, he is one of the pillars of what the Rangers identity is. I’m looking forward to seeing him again. I probably will understand him a bit better than my first time.”