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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Stewart Wilson

My 'mad' first Rangers experience that left me completely stunned in Tenerife

(Image: Martin Rickett)

Jermain Defoe has shared when he truly realised the size of Rangers.

The former England forward joined the Ibrox club from Bournemouth in January 2019. He was convinced by Steven Gerrard's vision for the future in Glasgow,

However, it wasn't until a training camp in Tenerife that the scale of the support really hit home for him.

Defoe said on The Warm-Up: "I remember going to Tenerife, met the boys, and remember coming off the training pitch and there were just like hundreds of Rangers fans.

"I thought: ‘This is mad, what are they doing over here?’ I knew it was a massive football club but you don't feel it until you actually go."


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The former striker admitted he arrived in Glasgow determined to prove himself despite already enjoying a successful career in the Premier League. "Even going there at the age of 36, I still felt like I had stuff to prove," Defoe said.

"I've gone into Rangers with a reputation of being a goalscorer in England. You have to do it here as well, otherwise I'd be embarrassed.

"So that was sort of like my mindset."

Defoe recalled his competitive instincts returning almost immediately after arriving at Ibrox. "I got that fire back after the first game when I scored the goal against Kilmarnock," he said.

"I came out of the tunnel, and all I could hear was Rangers fans, and see Rangers fans behind both goals."

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