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

Why seeing my Rangers squad out for coffee together means so much

(Image: PA)

Derek McInnes has praised the growing camaraderie among his Rangers players.

The manager was pleased to hear several first-team members socialising at 1841 Cafe and Bar on Hyndland Road. The gathering took place days after the club's 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup.

Footage shared by Nicolas Raskin showed the players enjoying each other's company away from the training ground. Supporters see this as another sign of unity being built under McInnes's leadership.

The Rangers boss was asked about the gathering and expressed his delight at the players spending time together outside of work. McInnes said: "The Stepps Bar didn't provide coffee for us! My son had told me about it.

"I spoke to Nico the next day, and he said that the boys were out. It's a couple of times now they've done that. I just like my players to be around each other.

"I don't really care what they're doing, to be honest. I want them to be in the morning, can't wait to get to work, be around each other, and never be in a rush to leave as well.

"The longer they can be around each other, the better, to be honest."

McInnes believes that strong relationships can be crucial during tough times and has encouraged his players to form bonds beyond the football pitch. He said: "I think team spirit and togetherness help you in difficult times, more than when things are going well.


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"When you've got so many new signings, so many new players new to Glasgow and the surroundings, it's good that they look out for each other.

"I think that's important that we do that on and off the pitch."

The manager has been vocal this season about the importance of a strong dressing-room culture and says creating that environment is an ongoing task. McInnes added: "I think sometimes you need to try and work at it.

"It's an ongoing thing, there's nothing specific that you need to do. But I do think that you need to accentuate the reasons for having a strong dressing room and togetherness.

"Feel like a family, feel like brothers in there. It's so difficult to do anything on your own, to achieve anything on your own, but together you can create a lot."

McInnes also stressed the importance of a competitive environment, saying: "Just try to create a competitive environment. An environment where we're here to improve, never accept bad practice. We're not here to have a lazy day.

"We're in, we're working, but we want to do it with a bit of enjoyment and a bit of togetherness. The reason why we're in and why we're all here at Rangers is to try and achieve something.

"We're on the same boat, so I think it's just that shared responsibility to be as strong as we can."

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