Rae has laid down marker for Davis and Defoe
Former Rangers midfielder Alex Rae hopes history will repeat itself in Portugal this week.
Back in 2005, aged 36, he helped emerging stars gain a draw in Porto that put the Light Blues on their way on the way to becoming the first Scottish club to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Rae’s old club face another trip to play the Portuguese outfit in the Europa League on Thursday, and he believes the old heads of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis can help drive the club forward.
Looking back to the time he played for Alex McLeish, the 50-year-old recalled: “It was an extremely difficult game. Porto had a lot of young, Brazilian talent they’d spent a large amount of money on.
“Technically, they were so good. We stayed in the game for a long period of time but didn’t have a lot of the ball.
“We found ourselves 1-0 down after an hour, and you have to give the manager credit – he subbed me for Steven Thompson!
“Then on came Ross McCormack, and he teamed up with another young boy, Chris Burke, to nick the goal that got us the draw. “It was then in our hands for the last game against Inter Milan at Ibrox and we got another point to reach the last 16.
“I know Porto finished runners-up in their league last season, and they lost in the Champions League qualifiers, but their recent form is very good.
“They look like a team that’s playng with confidence and winning games.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on them before going and doing a bit of media work over there.”
The chance to play in Porto was something of a milestone in Rae’s career.
It looked like his days of European football were over after receiving a fivematch ban for kicking an opponent in the head in a game against CSKA Moscow.
“I was making my debut in the Champions League group stages,” he went on. “That was good because at one point I felt it was going to pass me by.
“There were guys like Barry Ferguson and Fernando Ricksen playing in midfield and making an impact.
“I am grateful I got the chance to perform at that level.”
There’s a little reminder of the how he used his experience at Rangers when Rae watches 37-year-old Jermain Defoe and 34-year-old Steven Davis in action.
He said: “Defoe continues to impress with his appetite for the game, and I think you’re now seeing what Steven Davis is all about.
“He is pivotal to what they are trying to do in the middle of the park, and I see a massive improvement in Ryan Jack.
“I watched him last year and was thought he wasn’t doing too bad.
“But I think he’s actually gone to another level now, and is learning a lot from Davis.
“Jack is becoming a lot more offensive.
He’s driving the team forward.
“When you’ve teams who are playing a low block, defending deep, then you need to commit someone.
“Jack is doing that so much better. He’s been a lot more aggressive with his forward passing.
“That’s one of the reasons why he’s been making the Scotland squad.
“When Defoe and Davis arrived, there was a bit of criticism about the moves. Maybe it was understandable. They came in and clearly weren’t up to speed.
“It’s difficult because if you’re playing against guys who’ve played 25 games and you’ve not played, then it’s that sharpness within games that isn’t there.
“Rangers are reaping the rewards of those two now.
“There’s a calmness about Steven Davis. This is a guy who has all those Northern Ireland caps, so you’re going to get that level of assuredness.
“He’s just a very good football player.”