MALIK TILLMAN is confident he is in the right place at the right time to take his career to the next level after clinching a move to Rangers.
The midfielder put pen-to-paper on a season-long loan deal at Ibrox on Friday before watching Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side see off Blackpool in a friendly clash at Bloomfield Road the following day.
Tillman has made Bundesliga and Champions League appearances for Bayern Munich after emerging through the ranks at the Allianz Arena.
And he is determined to put that experience to good use this term as he aims to make the most of his chance to play regular first team football under Van Bronckhorst's guidance.
Tillman said: "I am just excited and looking forward to start. I can’t wait to play for this massive club with good, crazy fans at Ibrox. I can’t wait to get started.
"Obviously I want to play more than I used to do at Bayern so joining this club was the best decision because I think I am going to play here and play a big role and develop well. I will do the best I can.
"It has helped me a lot [to be at Bayern]. I learned many things that I didn’t know before and that is important. Obviously Bayern is a big club, I learned every day from every player and every staff.
"I usually play as a ten or an eight, so I am creative, good at finishing and scoring goals and assisting goals. That is what I try to do.
"Gio is a big coach. He was a great player, he played for Barcelona.
"He is a good player, a good coach and I can learn a lot from him."
The capture of Tillman is a significant coup for Rangers and the 20-year-old will be expected to replace playmaker Joe Aribo as a key creative influence in the Ibrox attack.
The Nuremberg-born midfielder made his debut for the United States in May and now has his sights set on a World Cup berth with the Stars and Stripes later this year.
“The World Cup is coming and I want to be there," Tillman told RangersTV.
“But I have to play more games at club level, at the highest level possible so that’s why I made the choice to go to the US. I want to play at the highest level soon as possible.
“They wanted to include me straight away. The German one maybe in two years so that’s why I made my decision."
