Run has put Scots game on Euro map
JOHN LUNDSTRAM believes Rangers have raised the standing of Scottish football through their Europa League heroics. The midfielder’s winning goal against RB Leipzig earlier this month set up tonight’s final in Seville and earned him a place in Ibrox folklore.
Lundstram is now determined to bring home the trophy by seeing off Eintracht Frankfurt but feels Rangers have already put Scotland back on the map in terms of respect within UEFA competitions.
After progressing from the group stage ahead of Brondby and Sparta Prague, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side overcame Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade and Braga before the unforgettable second leg comeback against Leipzig.
The 28-year-old insists there can be no doubt about the spin-off benefits for the domestic game.
‘I think it is massive,’ said Lundstram. ‘We have done wonders for Scottish football, to be honest. I remember Liverpool getting here four, five years ago and my home city was absolutely buzzing.
‘They got beat against Seville in the final but how big it was for a club like Liverpool was huge. So for a club like Rangers and for Scottish football, I think it is absolutely massive.’
Lundstram and his team-mates have enhanced their personal reputations while getting the better of some stars of the European game. The ex-Sheffield United man reflected: ‘It has been tough. We’ve come up against some really good players.
‘It has been good to be up close and personal with these top European players. It is one that we have all stood up to, the challenge, and I think it has been a good one.
‘Your Jude Bellinghams, your (Mats) Hummels, your (Christopher) Nkunkus, these are top players in European football, so it has been a good one.
‘I think the lads do deserve loads of credit. We have stood up to the test and it has brought out the best in each and every one of us, really.
‘Coming to Ibrox, I believe we can beat anyone with the crowd behind us. We have just got to go out and do it on the European stage away from home.’
Lundstram’s own transformation has been one of the key aspects of Rangers’ progress through the knockout rounds. From doubts over his future at Ibrox in January, he has established himself as an integral part of Van Bronckhorst’s plans.
Lundstram struck a brilliant goal in the 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in Germany — a night that transformed expectations of what might be possible — before downing Leipzig amid a truly extraordinary Ibrox atmosphere.
Addressing what had changed after his initially underwhelming displays, the boyhood Liverpool fan admitted he had put too much pressure on himself after joining Rangers under the management of Steven Gerrard.
‘Have I kicked on since January? Yeah, definitely,’ he continued. ‘I think my form is obviously a lot better and it coincides with the run we have had. It helps to get a run of games and try and show what I can do. I’m glad it has turned out the way it has and just thankful to the manager for giving me the opportunity.
‘I don’t think I had a point to prove to myself because I have always been confident in my ability. Obviously, coming to a new club, it is a massive club to come into, there is a lot of pressure on me to perform here early doors and hit the ground running.
‘Playing for Steven was massive for me and I think that added a bit of pressure playing for my childhood hero.
‘A run of games has helped me. It comes with time. I think you have seen it with better players than me that have struggled at bigger clubs. It has turned out the way it has and I am absolutely over the moon.’
The third Bundesliga side Rangers have faced this season, Frankfurt finished their domestic season well below both Dortmund and Leipzig. Oliver Glasner’s side have excelled in the Europa League, however, claiming the scalps of Barcelona and West Ham on the way to Seville.
‘I have seen the run they have had in Europe this year and I don’t think they have lost a game,’ added Lundstram. ‘We are under no illusions that it is going to be a tough night. They have played some exciting stuff against some massive teams in the competition. Of course we are going to be up against it but we are up for the challenge.’
The adapted Belinda Carlisle anthem declaring Lundstram as ‘the best on earth’ has formed the recent soundtrack to this European journey. So can Lundstram sing it?
‘I can’t give you a few notes but I have been singing it in my mind since the semi-final,’ he admitted. ‘All the messages and videos I have been getting sent are incredible, so I am really thankful for the support. ‘Is it on my Spotify? Not on mine personally but I can imagine it is on my mates’ and my mum’s especially. ‘If we win it, I’ll give you a rendition, definitely.’
Heat is on: Lundstram trains in Seville