Rangers defender Connor Goldson has responded to his critics ahead of the League Cup final against Celtic, as quoted by the Scotsman.
The 26-year-old has been a near-constant in the centre of defence for the Gers over the last season and a half, making 30 appearances already this campaign.
In general, his form has been strong. He’s put in commanding displays against top European clubs, shown improvements in his distribution and has popped up with several important goals.
However, there have been mistakes along the way. He gave the ball away for Celtic’s opener in September’s Old Firm defeat at Ibrox and he was heavily criticised for his part in allowing Aberdeen to stage a comeback at Pittodrie on Wednesday night.
Yet, despite the backlash, he’s still backing himself and his processes.
“I tend not to read anything, high or low,” said Goldson, as quoted by the Scotsman.“The magnitude at this football club, no-one is immune from criticism. You make a mistake and everything is magnified on you.”
“I’m a human being and I do every single thing in my power to perform well and help Rangers win games of football. Whether that’s preparing or recovering or doing things in the gym, eating well.
“I know that I can look at myself in the mirror and I know I do everything right. If I have a bad game, if I make mistakes, it’s due to me being a human being and not being the best central defender in the world, which I know I’m obviously not. But, over the course of a season, I try to limit them as much as I can and stay as professional as I can.”
Verdict
These are the words of a level-headed campaigner who, by the sounds of things, is comfortable within himself as a footballer.
To an extent, errors are inevitable when you’ve played much football as Goldson has this season. As Steven Gerrard’s most trusted centre-back, he’s spent 2700 minutes on the pitch to date in 2019/20 [Transfermarkt] and he’s set to get at least 90 more on Sunday.
Given that this is the biggest game of his career and that he slipped up in midweek, you can’t imagine a lack of concentration will be an issue at Hampden.
However, the opposition have major threats with the likes of Edouard, Forrest and Christie, and the vice-captain will need to have a stormer if the Gers are to emerge with silverware.
The Englishman has been on both sides of Old Firm results since moving from Brighton in 2018, but let’s hope this is his most positive experience yet.
Ahead of kick-off, why not check out our Match Preview on YouTube.
