Annan kid Dachnowicz looks to spring surprise on his Rangers return
ANNAN striker Przemyslaw Dachnowicz spent two years with Rangers dreaming of playing at Ibrox.
Now, after leaving the Govan side, he will finally get the chance tonight.
The 17-year-old Pole has just signed for the Galabank club after being released by Rangers at the end of last season. He is hopeful of lining up against Mark Warburton’s stars in the Betfred Cup after banging in a debut goal in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Stranraer.
Dachnowicz said: “It’ll be a great experience to go from playing Under-17 football to being involved at Ibrox. It’ll be a very hard game for us. Although I was with Rangers for two years, I’ve actually never been to Ibrox, so this will be my first experience there. We had the chance to go, but I never went.” Dachnowicz moved to Scotland as a nine-year-old before being snapped by Rangers after starring in the Jimmy Johnstone Academy. He admits to being starry-eyed at Auchenhowie as he watched the first team train from afar.
He said: “A few of my teammates, like Liam Burt, Jack Thomson and Jamie Barjonas, were involved with the first team, but I never got that far – that was a different world for me.
“Sometimes, after our training I would watch the first team train at Auchenhowie. When I was at the gym, I would look through the window and watch them. It was a really high standard and it gives you an idea of how high you have to aim. Sometimes you’d get a wee word with the first-team players in the gym but we were generally kept apart from them. Everyone had the dream to try and make the first team but it didn’t happen for me.
“The 17s was a challenge for me because I’d come from a boys club, the Jimmy Johnstone Academy. It was even hard for me to get into the 16s squad when I first went. I wasn’t a regular there, which is why I’ve come to Annan.
“I want to get back on track again. I had a good start, scoring in my first official game for Annan. I want to be a regular here and try and climb back up the ladder.”
Annan boss Jim Chapman has already masterminded a famous win at Ibrox when Ally McCoist’s Rangers were in the old Third Division. He admits it will be a far harder prospect tonight as he is still cobbling together a new-look squad.
Chapman said: “If you can’t look forward to this, you shouldn’t be playing football. It’ll be a tough game but it’ll be an enjoyable experience for the boys. It’s not our bread and butter – the two people most pleased about this game will be the chairman and the treasurer.”