Pedro Mendes was stunned seeing Rangers blast their way back on to the European football map last season.
But the former Light Blues midfielder is not surprised there are now plenty of star turns heading in the direction of Ibrox to be part of the success story. Mendes still has a lot of affection for the club from his two years in Scotland from 2008. He kept close tabs on his old club during the tough times and joined the continental thrill ride as Gers went all the way to the Europa League Final.
There was heartache in Seville but Mendes is convinced every cloud has a silver lining. The 43-year-old, who notched a screamer in a win at Parkhead 14 years ago, has no doubts the recent influx of new, top talent is down to the exploits of last term. The loss of Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo has been softened by the exciting arrivals of Rabbi Matonda, Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak, Tom Lawrence, Ben Davies and John Souttar.
And he’s convinced even more crackers will be on the way if Rangers can be Euro shock troops again this season and make it to the group stage of the Champions League. Mendes knows the drill as he arrived at Ibrox on the back of the UEFA Cup run in 2008 and went on to win the title.
The ex-playmaker – who also starred for Spurs, today’s Ibrox glamour friendly opponents – said: “The success in Europe was no doubt seen by players and convinced them to come. They can see there is something special happening here. A team that fights for titles and is competing in Europe is something they want to be part of.
“The Champions League is an even bigger incentive. It’s every player’s objective to play in the Champions League. Rangers have the chance to go into the qualifiers and although it will be tough there is a path there to the group stage. You look at this Rangers team and you would not be surprised if they could do it – no matter who they face. Potential signings will look at that and want to be part of things here.”
Mendes relished his time at Rangers and he has kept tabs on his old club in the 12 years since his exit.
The former Porto man reckons the Gers run to Seville was a story that captured the entire Continent. Mendes said: “It was a fantastic achievement for Rangers to get to the Europa League Final.
“There was disappointment at the end as it was a real opportunity to bring the cup home. But it was an amazing run and they should be proud of themselves. Rangers are a great example to a lot of clubs. They have come through a tough time but worked hard and did the right things to get back to the top level.
“It shows what can be possible. The Rangers journey was a big story across Europe. I was watching the games and they did so well, especially in Portugal as they faced a lot of Portuguese teams in recent years – and they kept winning!
“But everyone in Europe knows it was a difficult time for Rangers and to go from where they were a few years ago to a European final in such a short time is an incredible story. It is huge for Scottish football. What Rangers did wasn’t just for Rangers – it was for all of Scotland.”
Mendes is watching on and he believes the Scottish game is on the up again. Rangers are out to wrestle the title back off Celtic this season but he is thrilled the title race promises to be nip and tuck like his time in Glasgow.
The Porto Champions League winner loved his time in Scotland and said: “We also had a great team and it was important for us to win back the title. When I arrived it was a difficult situation.
“The team had been to the UEFA Cup Final but then been knocked out of Europe by Kaunas and the fans were not happy.
“It was good for everyone to turn things around and go all the way to the title. If you look back to that time, the Old Firm were very evenly matched. It was two very good teams fighting it out for the title and it came down to small margins.
“That’s what you want to see. You don’t want to see one of the teams 10 or 15 points ahead with 10 games to go. Well, maybe Rangers fans would if they are top!
“But it’s good for the game if both teams are doing well because it improves both sides, at home and in Europe. We saw that last year with Rangers. OK, they didn’t win the league in the end but they had to play at a high level all through the season and we saw the results they achieved in Europe.”
Mendes believes Rangers will hit the ground running after ending last term with silverware to show for their efforts. He said: “Winning
the Scottish Cup was important as well. Gio van Bronckhorst is doing a good job. He’s a great guy and a top manager. His CV speaks for itself both as a player and as a manager.
“When you have a guy like him in charge, everyone knows their jobs and the results come. I’ve got no doubts he can be successful this season.”
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