Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Steven Mair

Gio van Bronckhorst reacts to first Rangers start for Aaron Ramsey as attitude remains the same in unfamiliar setting

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst was delighted to see Aaron Ramsey get through a full hour of competitive action as the midfielder helped his side to a comfortable Scottish Cup success.

Van Bronckhorst made no secret of his plan to throw Ramsey in from the start and wasn't fussed about the astroturf surface at Annan's Galabank ground.

The number 16 did well as the Juventus loanee was thrust into horrendous conditions and the kind of surroundings the Juventus loanee and former Arsenal star won't have seen for eons.

He was unlucky to have a goal ruled out for offside towards the end of the first half, with Filip Helander, Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala doing the damage in a 3-0 win.

With Helander also returning to action after five months out it was another reason to be cheerful for the Dutchman as Rangers await to discover who they'll face in the quarter-final draw on Monday night.

Speaking to Premier Sports, Van Bronckhorst said: "You saw he (Ramsey) wants to play football, he wants to enjoy football. That's what you could see in the first half.

Aaron Ramsey (PA)

"He was asking for the ball, trying to get openings, he scored a goal but it was offside I think.

"He looked very lively so I'm really happy for him that he could play for an hour, also for Helander to be on the pitch again after so long off.

"Steven Davis as well made more minutes and we could put some youngsters on at the end.

"Mateusz (Zukowski) had a good debut as well so all in all it's a good day."

After turning 37 on New Years' Day, Northern Ireland star Davis has recently returned from injury and his recovery is a further boost to the Rangers midfield.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst (SNS Group)

"It gives me a lot of options," Van Bronckhorst added. "Steven Davis can play there, (Glen) Kamara, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack.

"We have a big squad and you can see the quality we had today with many players not travelling.

"I'm happy because we have everyone on board and we're looking forward to the next match."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.