IT is good to Turk. One conversation with countryman Tugay was all that Ridvan Yilmaz needed to get his Ibrox insight.
The 21-year-old put pen-to-paper on a £5million switch from Besiktas last month as Rangers saw off interest from across the continent to land one of their key transfer targets.
As Yilmaz waited for the i's to be dotted and t's crossed on the final pieces of paperwork, he took the chance to catch up with his compatriot and the man who he is following in the footsteps of.
Rangers posted a picture of Yilmaz and former Ibrox hero Tugay on their Twitter account last week as the pair talked football and life in Glasgow before the left-back embarked on the next stage of his fledgling career.
The former Turkish international midfielder became a firm favourite with supporters during his short but sweet stint in Light Blue as he arrived from Galatasaray in January 2000 and left for Blackburn Rovers the following July.
Time will tell how long Yilmaz calls Ibrox home from home after he quit Besiktas to become the seventh signing of the summer for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and was tasked with filling the void left by Calvin Bassey's big-money move to Ajax.
The defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday night was not the debut that Yilmaz would have been dreaming of as he came off the bench during the second half of the Champions League third qualifying round clash.
But he is fully aware of what life in Glasgow will hold in the coming years after making the most of the chance to earn some valuable insight from the man who lifted an SPL title and Scottish Cup double two decades ago.
"Yes, we have talked," Yilmaz said when asked about his meeting with Tugay. "He told me that Rangers is a big club and a historic club.
"He told me that Rangers would support me along the way. This was really important for me. I am happy about this.
"I think that the best advice he gave me was he told me I could improve myself in terms of football, in terms of language and in terms of strength.
"He also added that Rangers fans and the Rangers club is quite passionate and that was another piece of advice he gave me which was also quite important.
"It’s true that I have played in big games and big derbies in Turkey. I really enjoyed it. I’ll do that here as well and I’ll do my best in the Rangers-Celtic derby."
The acquisition of Yilmaz could prove to be a shrewd bit of business from Rangers and the benefits may well be seen on and off the park for some time to come.
He is the most expensive of the players that Van Bronckhorst has brought to Ibrox this summer and has undoubted potential to reach higher levels for club and country.
The visit of Kilmarnock on Saturday could mark his Premiership bow and he is pleased to have the chance to work under Van Bronckhorst's guidance this term.
Yilmaz said: "I believe that my mentality, my speed and my technique is good. When these are reflected in the game, these will help increase the quality of our game.
"I feel quite fit and before I came here I did all my training and didn't miss any. Since I arrived I have attended all my training sessions and my coaches have seen I feel quite fit as well.
"It's quite important for me that Giovanni has played left-back and I think I am going to learn quite a lot
"Before I came here we spoke about what I was good at and what were the things I could improve. I think I am going to learn quite a lot from him."
The opportunity to move to Ibrox is one that has excited Yilmaz and he is expected to quickly replace Borna Barisic as Van Bronckhorst's first choice on the left side of the defence.
Rangers were not the only suitors that were keen on securing his services, though, and Europa League foes Eintracht Frankfurt were credited with an interest earlier this summer.
Yilmaz said: "It felt really important [to be wanted by Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt]. I felt valuable.
"Of course I wanted the best for myself and, in the end, that was Rangers. I’m really happy about the end result. I’m proud to be at Rangers.
"What I want to do right now is to move Rangers into the Champions League, to finish the domestic league in a good position and also to win more cups. Also, I would like to go to bigger clubs [in the future]."
If Yilmaz can progress in the manner that Rangers hope and expect then they stand to make a significant profit on their investment sooner rather than later.
A move to the Premier League holds a natural appeal to the Turkish talent. Yet the first impressions of Ibrox have only served to reaffirm his belief that he has made the right move at the right time.
"The ground is really good," Yilmaz said. "The changing room is pretty much the same as in Turkey.
"The playing, in terms of the toughness and the technique, is quite different. It’s a little better here.
"Yes definitely [I can feel the history of the club]. I have felt the history, the cultural atmosphere in the stadium.
"It’s quite old and it’s quite magical. I played at a big club in Turkey. I’m playing at a big club here in Scotland. And I am going to enjoy this."
