Ranger defender Connor Goldson has opened up on his high-profile mistake against Celtic, as quoted by the Daily Record.
Half an hour into September’s Old Firm clash at Ibrox, the 26-year-old gave the ball away after venturing near the halfway line.
Celtic’s Mikey Johnstone then slid in Odsonne Edouard, who put the visitors 1-0 up.
Rangers, who had started the game poorly, were unable to recover and slumped to a 2-0 defeat.
Rangers centre-back Goldson on Old Firm blunder
“For a few days after I was around my family,” said Goldson, as quoted by the Daily Record. “I knew I made a mistake and it’s not what you want to do in a big game. I held my hands up to the team at the time.”
“As a footballer, I don’t think you are ever going to be perfect. You move on, you try and get to the next game and do as well as you can.
“I just try and be like that all the time. I try and move on as quickly as I can because at this club, there is always another game soon which you need to prepare for and get your head right for.”
Verdict
It sounds as if the mistake did effect Goldson in the immediate aftermath of the game and who can blame him.
The defender came under plenty of scrutiny after his error played a large part in Celtic gaining what was then a three-point advantage in the league. It’s not the only time he’s come under fire this season, either, with his distribution regularly criticised by Gers fans.
Yet, Goldson is still clearly Steven Gerrard’s favourite central defender. For the manager, it’s always a question of who should play alongside the former Brighton man, rather than whether or not he should play.
His passing has been sloppy at times, and it did cost the Gers on Derby Day. In the main, though, his defending has been solid and he’s been a big part of a strong defensive record in 2019/20.
Before Thursday’s tie against Young Boys, the Gers hadn’t conceded a goal from open play since the Old Firm, with Goldson an ever-present in the side.
He’s also proved an effective weapon at the other end of the pitch, scoring three goals in all competitions already this season. One of those goals was the dramatic late winner at Killie which earned him major praise from fans.
