Scott Wright on life at 'unique' Rangers, suiting Steven Gerrard's style of play and hopes for his Ibrox future

The winger, who moved to the Ibrox club from their Premiership rivals Aberdeen in a £150,000 transfer at the start of last month, joined a side that had lost just one game in the entire 2020/21 campaign, was bidding to land the Premiership and harboured hopes of progressing further in the Europa League.

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The 23-year-old was well aware it would take time for him to settle into his new surroundings and that his game time would, initially at least, be limited. So it has proved.

Yet, Wright, who has shown glimpses of why Steven Gerrard was so keen to sign him in the five substitute appearances that he has made to date, is still convinced he has progressed as a player since moving to Govan.  

The former Scotland Under-21 internationalist has been taken aback by both the standards in training at Auchenhowie and the preparation carried out by Gerrard and his backroom team before each match and feels he has benefitted greatly from being involved.

He may still be waiting to make his first start, but he is enjoying life at the newly-crowned Scottish champions immensely and has had no cause to regret his move. He is confident he will only develop further going forward.

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“I am absolutely loving it,” he told Rangers TV. “The standard of training and the standards that are set around the club are absolutely fantastic. The players and the staff have all been great with me and I am loving it so far.

“The detail into the tactics and the approach for each game are completely unique. It is different going into every single game. I feel as if I am constantly learning, whether it is off the pitch from management or other players. When you are on the training pitch as well you are learning a lot from the management.

“It has been a change, mentally and physically, the kind of demands that are put on. But it is one I am really liking. It is something I feel will help me to grow as a player as well. The management put a demand on us in training every day. But the players kind of referee that as well. They make sure the standards are there every day. You can see that in the way the team is playing.

“It has been absolutely fantastic. I am not long settled into a flat just now. The club have been fantastic helping me to find a place and making sure I am settled and happy. My girlfriend is down now.”

Wright, who will be hoping to make his Old Firm debut at some stage in the Premiership game against Celtic on Parkhead this Sunday, believes the style of game that Gerrard wants his Rangers team to play both at home and abroad will help him to flourish. 

“They want to try and play possession-based football and get the ball forward as quickly as they can,” he said. “They want to score goals. I think that suits me down to a tee really.

“I am obviously trying to learn tactics, the ins and outs of the team, with the ball, without the ball. It is something I am really looking forward to. I have loved playing in the team so far.”

Wright, who played in 14 European qualifiers during the seven seasons that he spent in the first team at Aberdeen, enjoyed his first taste of continental football at Rangers when he came on in the second leg of the Europa League last 32 double header against Royal Antwerp at Ibrox last month.

The home team were leading 4-2 on the night and 8-5 on aggregate and their place in the last 16 of the competition was secure when he replaced Ryan Kent with eight minutes remaining. 

Still, he won an injury-time penalty which Cedric Itten converted when he was brought down by Nana Ampomah after cutting into the Antwerp area. He was delighted to be able to contribute in a small way and stressed he will continue attempting to do that in the remaining weeks and months of this season. 

“It was brilliant,” he said. “It would have been a totally different experience I imagine if it had been a packed Ibrox. That is another factor of our games just now. It is an empty stadium. It is just unfortunate that we have got an empty stadium at the minute and our fans aren’t there with us.

“But the team were fantastic I thought. To score so many away goals and then play fantastically at Ibrox really shows how confident the team is at the minute.

“That is all I am kind of trying to do just now, probably from just now until the end of the season. Just get my face in the building, get to know the management, get to know the players, understand the players’ games. I am just trying to make an impact when I come on, whether that is winning penalties or even keeping the ball in the corner. Anything to help the team, whatever that is.

“It is always a good time to join Rangers, but it is a good time. The team is full of confidence and I think the way the team plays really suits me. It is a good time to be a Rangers player.

“We aren’t going to stand still and be happy with where we are, we are always going to want to keep pushing, be the best version of ourselves and constantly improve.”