GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST expressed his pride and reflected on Rangers’ rise from the Third Division to the Champions League after a famous win over PSV Eindhoven.
The Light Blues will play group stage football for the first time since 2010 thanks to a remarkable 1-0 victory in Holland on Wednesday night.
Antonio Colak netted the only goal of the game to clinch a 3-2 aggregate triumph and secure a £40million European jackpot.
The achievement marks the final marker post on the road to recovery for Rangers after their 55th Premiership title and run to the Europa League showpiece in Seville.
And Van Bronckhorst knows what Champions League football means to everyone at Ibrox as he prepares to discover his group stage opponents on Thursday.
Van Bronckhorst said: “It’s a very proud moment because I know what it means for the club ad everyone involved and the club to be playing at the highest level in Europe.
“To be playing with the best teams is a proud moment for all of us.
“For me I played many games as a player and coached my team Feyenoord in the Champions League and to experience it with Rangers as well is a very proud moment.
“It comes really close to being the best moment. You know where the club comes from.
“Ten years ago we were at the lowest part of our history. It took really hard work to build the club back again to a level we achieved now.
“It’s a proud moment for me to give this to all the people who used so much energy building this club up again.
“Seville was a proud moment for us to compete for the second European cup in our history and today we have the same moment to be in the draw for the Champions League and compete with the best teams in Europe.
“Of course there were dark moments. But the spotlights are on this competition so it’s a great metaphor to have the dark moments then step into the spotlight of the biggest competition in the world.
“It is going to be a great challenge for my team and everyone at this club to prepare the team well and to hear the Champions League song again this season.”
