‘I feel brilliant after being too keen to impress’
John Souttar admits he was wrong to declare himself fit to play for Rangers on the opening day of the Premiership season.
The defender managed 67 minutes of the game at Livingston before being replaced by James Sands.
His problem was an injury picked up playing for Scotland in the Nations League. Surgery was required, and only now is he ready to start games again.
He said: “Looking back, I probably should have been a bit more honest.
“But when you sign for a club like Rangers, you just feel like you’re going to play.
“You’re probably not 100% honest with the medical staff as you’re coming here and want to show everyone what you can bring to the club.
“It’s just in my character to play through these sorts of things.
“I should have decided not to play, but that’s my character. That’s what I am and what I bring to the game.”
“The last six months have been difficult. “Signing for Rangers, you have all these expectations in your head.
“Then it didn’t pan out that way for one reason or another at the start, carrying on with Scotland and bringing an injury into the camp.
“So, at the start of pre-season, I was always playing catch-up and, unfortunately, the injury took a bit longer than I’d hoped for.
“But now I feel brilliant. I’ve been back training for three or four weeks now and feeling class.
“I’m just looking forward to properly starting my Rangers career.”
Souttar knows he will be viewed as spending too much time in the treatment room after having extended periods out during his spells at Dundee United and Hearts.
He said: “People probably will say I’m injury-prone, but you’ve got to be mentally strong in yourself.
“You can’t listen to anyone else apart from yourself. And, if you do that, you won’t go far wrong.
“It’s not about proving people wrong, but proving it to yourself.
“I’m now playing football for the first time in a while without any concerns about how my body feels.
“I am now 100% and that’s a massive relief for me. Now I just want to repay the club for bringing me here.”