Maurice Ross has opened up on his time at Rangers, as quoted by the Daily Record.
The 38-year-old former right-back spent five seasons at Ibrox between 2000 and 2005.
After finishing his career with FK Vidar in Norway in 2013, he’s now a youth coach at Motherwell.
There, he’s trying to teach kids the importance of football intelligence, something he required throughout his time at Ibrox.
“My best attributes as a coach come off the back of being a basic player”, said Ross, as
quoted by the Daily Record. “I was able to play at a good level by thinking my way through a football match – I was doing it constantly.”
“I never had the ability to go past a player. So I had to think about HOW I could get past the player.
“Rangers fans probably thought I had a bad attitude when I played – they’ll be surprised by what I’m saying now. A lot of them just saw me as a bawheid. I was cocky but it was just bravado on my part.
MORE RANGERS STORIES
“When you’re in a dressing room with 24 internationals and you know you’re not good enough – you have to find a way to let them think you are. Or you don’t play. I try to get that out of young players now. I want boys going on to the park feeling 6ft 4ins when they’re only 5ft 4ins.”
Verdict
These are really interesting comments from the former Ibrox man.
A long time retired, he clearly feels comfortable admitting things he wasn’t able to as a player.
He realised his inherent technical limitations, yet still forged a 13-year professional career.
Now a coach, he’s commendably making it his mission to show that talent is only part of what is required to make it at the top level.
