Former Rangers winger Neil McCann was not the only one to express his concerns as the team news filtered through ahead of that stunning 3-0 battering of Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Rangers were without Jack Butland, James Tavernier and Leon Balogun, as well as John Souttar and Neraysho Kasanwirjo. In the absence of three or even four of the club’s first-choice back five, Philippe Clement was forced to partner Dujon Sterling with Robin Propper while summer signing Liam Kelly replaced Butland in goal.
Ridvan Yilmaz, meanwhile, lined up on the right-hand side. Not only for the first time in Rangers colours, but for the first time in his senior career.
By his own admission, McCann was ‘worried’ about Yilmaz going up against Daizen Maeda. As it transpired, he needn’t have broken sweat. Yilmaz did what James Tavernier so often failed to do and kept Celtic’s irrepressible, jet-heeled Japanese attacker quiet.
Not only that, Yilmaz also posed a considerable threat at the other end. Cutting in onto his left foot with remarkable frequency, the £3.5 million Turkey international mustered the most shots – six – of any one else on the pitch.
More than the entire Celtic team managed between them, and accounting for a quarter of Rangers’ eventual tally.
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Philippe Clement hails Ridvan Yilmaz after Rangers hammer Celtic
Speaking to the media as the dust settles on the long-awaited first Old Firm derby victory of his Gers career, Clement admitted that Yilmaz was as concerned as McCann was about the prospect of starting against the Premiership leaders in a role he’d never played before.
He cites Yilmaz’s ‘mentality’, then, as an example for the rest of the squad to take note of as Rangers look to prove this is not another false dawn.
“A lot of things,” Clement said when asked what aspects of that Celtic shellacking he wants to see repeated against Hibernian on Sunday. “The positivity, the compactness, creating chances, the ball tempo, and also all the team being ready in every position.
“The mentality that players like Ridvan showed. He was not convinced [about playing at] right-full back because it was the first time in his life.
“And giving that performance… Those were really positive things.”
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Yilmaz ‘excellent’ as Clement’s squad depth shines through
Now, Clement labelled Ridvan Yilmaz a ‘warrior’ after that Tottenham clash in the Europa League back in December. The former Besiktas man thrived as a left-sided winger in that game, playing with trademark aggression and purpose ahead of Jefte on the flank.
Consider his starring role in another new position against Celtic another string added to an increasingly stacked bow.
“[Clement] asked players to come in. We said there might be an opportunity for players who hadn’t been playing to come in and stake a claim,” former Rangers striker Kris Boyd tells Sky Sports.
“I thought Ridvan Yilmaz was excellent. I thought Dujon Sterling and Robin Propper played like proper defenders – alright they weren’t asked a lot by Celtic – and Jefte was up and down all day.
“Nicolas Raskin was outstanding. Vaclav Cerny and Ianis Hagi with that little bit of quality…”
