GRATEFUL BASSEY BEARS GIFTS ON IBROX RETURN

AS Calvin Bassey arrived back at Ibrox last night, he brought with him a present for the manager he credits with helping him win his stunning £20million summer move to Ajax. The defender remained stubbornly tight-lipped under intense questioning over the contents of the parcel he had handed over to Ibrox boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst. But the 22-year-old was equally adamant that the sentiment he clearly feels for his old employers will be left to one side this evening as he aims to ensure Rangers are not gifted any badly-needed Champions League points. ‘I brought Giovanni van Bronckhorst a nice present. He will tell you what it is,’ the Ajax defender smiled. ‘He gave me an opportunity when he came to this club. He taught me a lot and he helped me get confidence. He has been very important to my career. But obviously I’m an Ajax player now and it’s important we get the win. ‘It’s a nice feeling being back in Glasgow and it’s also nice to see some familiar faces again but I don’t think I can just enjoy being back here. I will just be focusing on winning the game. ‘I know there will be attention on me coming back to Ibrox but I have to do all I can for Ajax to get the result.’

Signed from Leicester City during the summer of 2020, Bassey had a slow start to his Rangers career. However, the Nigeria international flourished in spectacular fashion as a key part of Van Bronckhorst’s team that reached the Europa League final, losing on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt. Of the many noisy and emotional nights on the journey to Seville, none stick in the mind more than the 3-1 second leg semi-final win over RB Leipzig. That win came days after kitman Jimmy Bell had passed away and the Ibrox side produced a performance for the ages to reach the final 3-2 on aggregate despite having no recognised striker against the Bundesliga outfit. ‘My favourite memory from that run is probably the Leipzig game,’ he said. ‘That got us through to the Europa League final so it was very emotional, especially with Jimmy Bell not being able to experience it. ‘I’ve told my team-mates what to expect in terms of the atmosphere at Ibrox. ‘It will be loud and it will be jumpy. It is always a nice atmosphere here and I’m looking forward to it. The Rangers fans will be up for this game, as they are for every game. ‘They will be wanting the team to win but we have to remain composed and remember what we have to do. ‘We are here to do a job and we have to make sure we deliver.’