Luc Nilis still looks back fondly on the company he kept during his years with PSV, after striking up deadly partnerships with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Brazilian superstar Ronaldo. But he admits he’d rather blank out his brush with Derek McInnes and Rangers.
The Belgium legend made his first visit to Ibrox for a 1999 Champions League showdown and found his every move tracked by the Gers midfielder, as his old Eindhoven boss Dick Advocaat deployed McInnes as a man-marking sweeper. The ploy worked a treat as the Light Blues rampaged to a 4-1 triumph, backing up the 1-0 win they’d already claimed at the Philips Stadion.
It wasn’t enough to see Gers through as they were eliminated alongside their Dutch opponents, with Bayern Munich and Valencia progressing from a group of death. But even after having a night to forget, the game made an impression in Nilis. He told Record Sport : “That was my first experience of Ibrox and as usual the fans were amazing.
