FAST TRACKED

£1.5m Katic admits he’d have ‘run to Ibrox to play for new boss Gerrard’

NEW Rangers signing Nikola Katic claims he would have run all the way to Glasgow to play for Steven Gerrard.

Sportsmail exclusively revealed the Ibrox club’s duel with Spartak Moscow to snatch the 21-year-old on Monday.

And, speaking after he passed a medical and signed a £1.5million four-year deal, the Croatian international said the chance to work with the new manager swayed his decision.

‘It’s a big pleasure to be here at this big club, one of the biggest in Europe and in the world,’ said Katic (right).

‘It’s good to be here. It’s a big step for me. When they told me Steven Gerrard wanted to take me, I said to my agent I’d get my shoes on and run to Scotland. ‘He is a legend of football all over the world and I am glad to be here with him. It’s a big club in a strong league. I can play in Europe and play in front of 50,000 fans at every home game. It’s wonderful for me.’ A former Under-21 international, Katic earned his first senior cap in a friendly

against Mexico last May. He is now likely to form a new partnership with Connor Goldson, with the Brighton defender poised to secure a £3m move. And the towering 6ft 4in defender believes he is physically equipped for the rough and tumble of the Scottish game. ‘I am the sort of player who likes a duel and in Scotland I think the type of football is for me,’ he told Rangers TV. ‘There are a lot of long balls and duels, that’s what I like.’ Confident a move to Rangers will help catch the eye of his national coach Zlatko Dalic, Katic said: ‘It will help me as Croatia has so many players at good clubs — Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool — and it is hard to come from the Croatian league and to play in the national team. ‘But Rangers is a good step to show to the national manager that I can play for the national team.’ Katic will be the fourth Croatian to play for Rangers after Dado

Prso, Nikica Jelavic and Niko Kranjcar. Reflecting on his countrymen’s previous contributions, he said: ‘Everyone has said they did a good job here and now I have a job to hold that tradition here. ‘I want to train hard every day and help the team to get better results in every game and try to win the Scottish league and cup. ‘Rangers need to be in with the top European clubs and I will try with the other players to move this club to the top of European football.’ Despite the interest from Spartak Moscow, Slaven Belupo sporting director Zvonimir Simunovic says the Croatian minnows wanted to do the deal with Rangers. ‘As a club, Rangers was our first choice from the beginning when they first showed interest,’ he said. ‘Lots of other clubs tried to get Nikola and Spartak was in the game before. Not now. ‘I am sure Rangers have signed a fantastic young player who will do a great job. ‘He will help Rangers to fight Celtic and play in European competitions. ‘All of us at Slaven are very proud he has joined such a great club as Rangers.’ Brighton’s Goldson, meanwhile, is expected to complete the paperwork on his move before joining the Rangers squad at their pre-season training base in Spain on Sunday.

We told you first: how Sportsmail revealed Katic was a target for Rangers