Davis determined to bring back the glory days he cherished in first stint at Rangers
WHEN Steven Davis called time on his first spell as a Rangers player in 2012, he knew hard times were just around the corner for
the club.
But never in his wildest nightmares could the midfielder have imagined that the financial crisis engulfing the Ibrox giant would see a full eight years — and counting — pass without the club capturing another major trophy.
Davis and goalkeeper Allan McGregor will have a key role next season as — excluding the out-of-favour striker Kyle Lafferty, whose Ibrox days are numbered — they are the only players in the squad with experience of lifting serious silverware with Rangers.
But the Northern Ireland captain is hoping that, once rediscovered, the winning feeling proves contagious.
‘It is unbelievable that it’s been eight years since the last major trophy at Rangers,’ said Davis. ‘In my time here before, the club was used to having success every season. ‘Sometimes that first trophy can
be the hardest to get. But I find once you get a taste of success, it leaves you wanting more.
‘And as well as giving you a taste of it, you also learn how to do it.
‘Back in my first spell here, there were experienced people like David Weir, Lee McCulloch and Barry Ferguson who led the way.
‘Now there’s the likes of Allan McGregor and myself, who have been here before and tasted success, but there are other good leaders too in the squad.
‘I’m sure all the boys here are aware of the importance of winning this club its next trophy.
‘It’s not something we have spoken about at this point. But when we do pick up that first trophy again it will be all the sweeter.’
During his first spell at Rangers, Davis won three league titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.
He was also part of Walter Smith’s side that reached the 2008 UEFA Cup final, losing to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.
At 34, Davis dreams of adding to his personal medal haul before hanging up his boots. And he feels that Rangers are on the edge of achieving his aims in Steven Gerrard’s second season in charge at Ibrox.
‘Winning trophies again would be huge for me,’ said Davis, who spent the last seven years at Southampton after leaving Ibrox in 2012.
‘That was the appeal for me coming back.
‘I was going through a difficult period down at Southampton and I felt my time was up there.
‘But the reason I wanted to come here was to win trophies before I finish playing.
‘Anybody joining this club joins for a reason — to try to be successful and bring trophies back.
‘Anybody coming here wants to be a winner. That’s part of the appeal of joining Rangers.
‘I’d far rather be fighting at the top end of the table than the bottom and I like playing under pressure.
‘So when I heard Rangers were an option, it was the only one I wanted to pursue. The deal was done quite early in the window. I didn’t even look at anything else.
‘Are we on the cusp on something good here? I’d like to think so.
‘The manager has brought in a lot of young players and you can see the energy they bring to training. It is infectious for the rest of the squad and there’s good quality there, too. ‘There is a lot to be positive about. We know it’s going to be another difficult season but we’ve got to be confident that we can be successful. ‘The aim at the start of every season is to go out and win trophies. This one is no different.’ Davis believes Rangers were the
When we pick up that first trophy, it will be all the sweeter Anybody joining this club wants to be a winner. That’s the appeal of coming here
authors of their own downfall last season.
But, should they iron out the inconsistencies in their game, he believes they will be well placed to stop Celtic reaching nine-in-a-row.
‘We’ve definitely got the ability to do it,’ he argued. ‘Last year, we lacked a little bit of consistency. The reason we didn’t win anything wasn’t because of other teams. It was because of ourselves.
‘You are not going to play well for the entire season. But when you are not playing well, you still have to find a way to win.
‘There were games last season that we dominated but we were not clinical enough in front of goal.
‘And at other times, we conceded silly goals from set-plays. These are the things we need to tighten up to make sure we can be successful next season.’
Davis takes inspiration from his former Rangers captain Weir, whose longevity in his playing career saw him remain at Ibrox until he was 41. The veteran midfielder, who has played 111 times for his country, has recently been tipped by Pat Jennings to beat the legendary goalkeeper’s record of 119 caps for Northern Ireland.
‘The cap record is definitely an ambition,’ said Davis.
‘It would be a nice thing to do but, more importantly, it would be great for Northern Ireland if we could qualify for another major tournament. That would mean a lot more to me. ‘David Weir played on for an unbelievable amount of time. ‘My international team-mates Aaron Hughes and Gareth McAuley did the same. ‘Players now live their lives better than they did 10 or 15 years ago. You need to because the game is getting quicker all the time. ‘But I don’t look too far ahead. I just want to be successful this year and play a big part for Rangers and Northern Ireland.’