IT was a case of divine inspiration. The message was delivered by Giovanni van Bronckhorst but it was the mantra that Walter Smith lived and managed by.
As the Dutchman addressed his players for the final time inside the Philips Stadion on Wednesday evening, the words of Walter came to mind. Within 90 minutes, Rangers had delivered in a manner the Ibrox legend would have been proud of.
A career at the top of the game for club and country saw Van Bronckhorst work with and work for some of the finest figures of his generation as medals were collected and experiences gained.
But it was one that he never played under that would inspire him and his players as Rangers saw off PSV Eindhoven and secured their spot in the Champions League group stages. It is an achievement that carries special resonance for Van Bronckhorst.
Just months after the heartache of Seville, Rangers are off and running on the continent once again and those incredible nights against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig will be followed by three more as Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli visit Ibrox in the coming weeks.
Those exploits in the Europa League will stand Van Bronckhorst’s side in good stead as they take on each rival and aim to punch above their weight once again. The performances will matter, but never as much as the results.
"It was a great victory for us and now we're going to compete with the absolute best teams in Europe," Van Bronckhorst said. "This is a level we all want to reach and you saw that belief in our team.
"Last year we played against some top European teams and we did great. Now we've kept that run going in a stadium that is a difficult place to come.
"I've been to the Philip Stadion before with Feyenoord. I remember we lost a goal inside a minute and the entire crowd just got behind PSV.
"We know that can happen over there just like it can happen to us at Ibrox. But we turned it around in the first half by bursting the belief our opponents had.
"What we didn't do well enough was to take our chances and get a goal. But I'm just happy we did it in the second half.
"Walter Smith was one of my predecessors as Rangers manager. He always said that whatever happens, Rangers must always find a way to win the match.
"That's what I said to the players before the game and they made it happen."
The outcome was one that many dreamed of, but one that few believed would become a reality after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side claimed a 2-2 draw at Ibrox and seemingly took control of the tie.
The thousands of PSV fans that lined the streets and blocked the roads around the stadium on Wednesday evening clearly thought the same. They started the party early, but it was Rangers who celebrated in the end.
Smoke filled the air and fireworks and flares were set off – not for the first time on the trip - as Rangers saw their preparations disrupted just a couple of hours before kick-off. A plea to UEFA to change the start time was dismissed despite fans causing chaos all around the Philips Stadion.
"I wasn't happy with the team's arrival and what happened at the stadium," Van Bronckhorst said. "We had to wait 15 minutes to get off the bus.
"The fans from the other side were spitting at the bus, banging on the bus. That's not the way you want to arrive at the stadium for an important match.
"After 15 minutes some of us went inside. But we had two buses and half of the team was in the second coach.
"The second coach drove away and left because the bus driver was panicking because it was such a severe situation.
"So that bus only arrived 20 minutes later, which was an hour and 10 minutes before kick-off.
"We asked UEFA to delay the start of the game so we could prepare properly but UEFA thought a delay wasn't necessary.
"Before the game we had fireworks at the hotel too. But that seems to be normal these days.
"We experienced that in Dortmund too and to be honest almost every European way game we have things like this.
"This time it was not just once but twice. It was at 2am then 4.30am. We even had some stuff during the day of the game when we were resting in the afternoon.
"But now we can light some fireworks ourselves after reaching the Champions League. We used all that stuff with the fireworks and the bus in our preparation.
"For us it gave us extra motivation and in the end you need to be ready at kick-off.
"Our goal was to go to the Champions League. OK we had to prepare in a shorter time frame than normal but we did and we got the result."
The job was completed in some style as Rangers recorded an impressive win on the road and added another illustrious name to the list of European giants they have conquered in recent seasons.
The step up to Champions League company presents another marker post past on the road to recovery. The challenges in Group A will be stern but they are to be relished rather than feared.
"Yeah, we are going to try and win it now," Van Bronckhorst joked when asked if Rangers could be competitive in the Champions League. "Of course you want to be competitive.
"We are here to compete, we want to compete with the best teams in Europe. It is going to be a difficult challenge because we are going to face some big teams in Europe, like we did last year, but it is an experience that I will love.
"I love that my players will have the opportunity to compete. I always remember my first game in the Champions League with Feyenoord against Juventus away and the first 20, 25 minutes I was blown away by the level and the way Juventus played in that time.
"To experience that as a player, you have to be very privileged because not many players get the chance to compete on this level."
