Borna Barisic has opened up on his recent coming of age as a Rangers player, as quoted by the Daily Record.
The 26-year-old signed for the Gers for a reported £2 million from Osijek last summer [Daily Record] but failed to impress during his first season at Ibrox.
Injuries never seemed to be far away and the left-back looked short on both form and confidence.
Recently, though, he has looked a totally different player.
He starred in the Europa League win over Feyenoord and has now started four matches in a row.
Rangers star Barisic says he’s made big strides since Ibrox move
“The biggest problem was that I was getting injured all the time because it was not easy to adapt from Croatian football to Scottish football,” said Barisic, as quoted by the Daily Record. “It is more physical here than I expected and it took time.”
“Now, when I compare the results of my tests when I arrived with those from this season, the difference is unbelievable. I’m a lot stronger. For example, some exercises took 100 per cent of my power when I first came to the club. Now it takes just 50 per cent of my strength to do the same – so it is a lot better.”
“It is not easy when you are listening to people talking, all these stories that they say about me. But I have a strong mindset…I knew all the time that I have a lot of quality and that my problem was just one of physicality.”
Verdict
It’s been a long time coming, but in recent weeks, Barisic has looked every inch an international quality left-back.
He’s more confident going in for challenges, when in possession and with his crossing. He’s bringing balance and stability to this Rangers side at left-back.
That transformation makes sense on the back of these comments.
What we’re seeing now is a player who is confident in his body. Last season, Barisic broke down regularly and was advised against playing on plastic pitches [Daily Record].
Now, he’s good to go on all surfaces and instead of playing within himself, he’s giving his all for the cause.
When in form, it’s a pleasure to watch the Croatian go about his business, and he’ll be key on Thursday night if the Gers are to get a result in Bern.
