Barisic offers some advice to new signing

Borna Barisic didn’t consider interest from Roma before the signed a new contract with Rangers.

The Croatian defender admits he wants to repay Steven Gerrard for having faith in him.

Barisic went through some dark days when he struggled to get a place in the team last season, and there were times he believed he would have to quit the club.

Those weren’t thoughts that Gerrard ever encouraged, and the 27-year-old said: “Repaying the manager is one of the things that made me sign a new contract.

“I will talk about that sometime. The manager affected me a lot.

“He’s probably one of the reasons why I have stayed. Even in my tough times, he stayed behind me. He believed in me with the staff.

“Clubs like Roma having an interest in you is a very big thing for me. They’re such a big club. But my full focus is on Rangers. At no point did I want to go.

“I feel I’ve helped Rangers, and our aim is to try to win the league. That’s a big motivation for me.”

Barisic’s new deal ties him to Rangers until 2024, although he knows there’s no guarantee of him spending another four years in Scotland.

He said: “Speculation will probably quieten because I signed the new contract. But then there is the transfer window in the summer, so you don’t know what will happen.”

Barisic has already told Ianis Hagi – son of Romanian superstar, Gheorghe – that he is available to give an advice that might help him to settle in at Rangers.

There are certain things he believes make coming to Scottish football a challenge.