Pedro tells players to smell blood at Hampden

RANGERS manager Pedro Caixinha has urged his players to show the bloodlust of vampires as they attempt to move closer to the first major trophy of his reign.

The Ibrox side meet Motherwell at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the Betfred Cup this afternoon, with Caixinha determined to win the competition and sharpen a real hunger for success within his squad.

‘The vampires taste the flavour of the blood and they want more. They need it,’ said the Portuguese.

‘It’s the same with the competitive teams and clubs, competitive players and competitive managers.

‘They like the way the blood tastes. This is only the first trophy.

‘There was a former Benfica president (Joao Vale e Azevedo). He was in jail after that, but that’s another story.

‘He launched a campaign and he was saying ‘one euro is one euro’ like one pound

is one pound. I will tell you, one trophy is one trophy. So all the trophies are important for me.

‘If you need to defend this club, one trophy is one trophy.

‘That’s what we are going to fight for.’

Caixinha won the first trophy of his managerial career in the form of the Copa MX with Santos Laguna in 2014.

And it started a snowball effect with his players going on to win the Liga MX and the Campeone des Campeones trophy the following year.

He hopes Betfred Cup success will spark something similar at Ibrox for Rangers.

‘It’s like a sort of addiction, you know? People are addicted to smoking or eating good or playing sport. But I am addicted to winning,’ he said.

‘I was addicted to winning when I started this job and started with the Under-14s.

‘It was inside me. That’s my essence.’

Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson has certainly made a concerted effort to shift all the pressure on to Rangers this week, but Caixinha insists he is more than comfortable with that.

‘At Ibrox, he always comes in and has a drink with us, and I like to receive him with a very good Portuguese red wine,’ said Caixinha.

‘I like the pressure. You know why? Because I love to win.’ Whilst Caixinha may possess the bloodthirst of the vampire, he is clear that he has no intention of staying up all night like one.

‘I have been asked if I sleep before the matches. Like an angel,’ he stated.

‘You ask me if I can sleep after a defeat? No, I cannot sleep.

‘That and if something happens with the family are the only things that stop me sleeping.

‘Even after a draw, I cannot sleep.’