Croatian midfielder has been on the receiving end of rival fans’ fury before
WITH the teams not having competed in the same league for four seasons, the meetings between Celtic and Rangers in the Ladbrokes Premiership in the forthcoming campaign promise to be even more intense affairs thanusual.
But Niko Kranjcar, the Croatian midfielder who signed a two-year deal at Ibrox yesterday, is confident that he will be able to handle whatever the Glasgow derby match throws up in the months ahead.
Kranjcar became a hate figure with the Bad Blue Boys, one of the most notorious supporters groups in world football, when he took the inadvisable step of leaving Dinamo Zagreb for their bitter rivals Hadjuk Split back in 2005 after a fallout with his manager.
The first time he returned to Zagreb to play in an Eternal derby match for Split, he was left in no doubt about just how much his departure had angered the ultra element of their fan base.
“The Celtic-Rangers game will be up there with Dinamo Zagreb against Hajduk Split,” he said. “That is definitely pretty full on – especially if you move from one totheotherandthenyougo back home!
“I had a couple of flares thrown at me. They missed me by a couple of inches. I couldn’t hear my own thoughts when I had the ball. It was interesting. Thank God it’s over and it’s not going to happen again.
“But I definitely won’t be intimidated by the atmosphere in the Old Firm game. I am looking forward to it. It is a game that you really look forward to. When you have been through what I went through you can handle anything that any game throws up at you.”
Indeed, the opportunity to play in one of the most famous fixtures in the game was actually one of the main reasons that Kranjcar agreed to join the Championship winners so readily.
“I always associated Rangers with Dado Prso and obviously Nikica Jelavic is a close friend,” he said. “But I don’t need them to tell me what Glasgow Rangers is about. I grew up in a football family in Croatia. We obviously didn’t follow Scottish football, but you hear about the Old Firm.
“I was a football fanatic when I was a kid and heard about the biggest derby matches in the world.
“One was the Old Firm game and the other one was River Plate against Boca Juniors in Argentina. You don’t need people to tell you what Rangers means.”
Kranjcar, then, did not need much persuading to join his former Queens Park Rangers team mates Joey Barton and Clint Hill at Ibrox. Nevertheless, the attacking midfielder was impressed when Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, flew to the United States to persuade him to sign.
The two men had dinner together in New York, where the 31-year-old had been playing for North American Soccer League club Cosmos in order to keep his fitness levels high ahead of a planned return to Europe in the summer, and spent three hours talking about football.
The ex-Portsmouth, Spurs, Dynamo Kiev and Queens Park Rangers player came away from the meeting in no doubt whatsoever about where the next destination in his career would be.
“That was probably the most persuasive thing,” he said. “I was thinking: ‘Why is he coming?’ He doesn’t really need to convince me to come to Rangers given what I knew about the club. But it was great to speak to him. Once I met him it convinced me even more so.
“We had a really good and constructive conversation about where he sees the football club and the direction they want to take things. I was really impressed, both by that message and by the effort he made in flying out to meet me.
“The response from the manager was positive and from thatmomentonIknewIwould be really happy with the opportunity to sign here.”
Kranjcar, who will join up with Rangers on their pre-season trip to the United States next week, may be moving to a new club in a new country for the new season, but he is hopeful the presence of Barton and Hill will help him to settle in both on and off the park.
Midfielder Barton and defender Hill are two of six signings that Warburton has so far made during the close season as he prepares to launch a challenge to Celtic for the Premiership title. Matt Crooks, Jordan Rossiter, Josh Windass and Kranjcar are the others.
“It helps when you see familiar faces and play with players who know you after training with you day in and day out,” he said. “I am really delighted to be playing with them and to have signed for Rangers.” THE incredible performance of Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern against world champions Germany drew plenty of admiration, writes Graeme McGarry.
It also drew incredulous remarks from pundits who couldn’t quite believe that the free agent last played for Hamilton Academical.
After his stellar showing, McGovern’s agent was quick to point out that his client was drawing plenty of interest from high places, even perhaps the English Premier League.
Far from being jealous though, Partick Thistle and former Hamilton goalkeeper Tomas Cerny was delighted for his colleague. He is only human though, and so a small part of him couldn’t help but wonder if that might just have been him.
The unfortunate thing for Cerny is that as a Czech, the not inconsiderable obstacle of Petr Cech lies between him and the opportunity of displaying his talents at a major international tournament.
“Michael McGovern was incredible against Germany,” Cerny said. “The guy has always played in Scotland, in the First Division, then a couple of seasons with Hamilton.
“I’m very happy but at the same time it’s difficult for me. You think, ‘That could have been me’. I’m very pleased for him. I’ve met him a few times and he’s a nice guy. It’s an incredible story to go from Hamilton to playing against Germany like that.
“He’s in a great position and, in a way, I wish I was in that position! He’s timed it really well. It’s good the Euros were expanded to give these teams a chance to qualify. It’s never too late, but unless Petr Cech retires it’s a bit too late for me!
“I’m sure his story does inspire people. There will be players in Scotland who think they could get a big move out of here or play international football. There are a few players from the SPFL at the Euros. That experience is amazing in itself but it can bring a lot of rewards.”
Not that Cerny isn’t relishing the prospect of another season with Partick Thistle. The keeper is still a few weeks away from full fitness as he recovers from injury, but he returned to pre-season training this week.
Cerny thinks that Thistle are in a better position this summer to ensure that they don’t repeat the poor start to last season’s campaign that ultimately cost them towards the end of the season. “We always want to improve – personally and on the points total,” he said. “I think it’s important to have a better start to the season.
“If we’d been slightly better we’d have been in the top six. That would be amazing for the club.”