By his own admission, former Rangers midfielder John Lundstram did not enjoy the easiest of adaptations to life at Turkish Super Lig giants Trabzonspor.
In fact, only a few months after arriving on the banks of the Black Sea, both Lundstram and ex-Ibrox teammate Borna Barisic appeared to have one foot out the door. The manager who brought them to Turkey in the first place was fired only weeks into the current campaign, replaced by veteran Senol Gunes.
And while life isn’t getting any smoother for Barisic – the Croatian continues to be restricted to blink-and-you’d-miss-it cameos – John Lundstram is bouncing back and winning other a sceptical fanbase week-by-week.
The one-time Everton, Sheffield United and Rangers man has played the full 90 minutes in each of Trabzonspor’s last 13 Super Lig matches.
Lundstram even scored his first goal in Turkish football during Monday’s 4-0 hammering of Sivasspor, striding into the final third from his centre-half role and curling a sumptuous finish into the top corner with his weaker left boot.
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John Lundstram scores first Trabzonspor goal after Rangers exit
After what feels like a coming-of-age performance in his new home, Lundstram could barely keep the smile off his face.
“First of all, I am very happy,” the Liverpool-born 30-year-old beams. “I am very happy for both scoring a goal and for the three points. Perhaps what makes me happier is to see the team getting better. Because our team is getting better week by week.”
Trabzonspor appeared in very real danger of relegation not so long ago. Now, following up a 5-0 obliteration of Antalyaspor with another heavy victory, Lundstram and co are marching into the top half of the table.
The 2022 Scottish Cup winner has found a new lease of life as a ball-playing centre-half, meanwhile, in Gunes’ system. A midfielder by trade, yes, but Lundstram does have some experience in a deeper, more defensively-minded role.
Giovanni van Bronkchorst occasionally utilised him in the heart of a back three during his time in the Ibrox dugout, Lundstram helping to dictate the play from deep while striding forward in a manner the Trabzonspor fanbase are now starting to become accustomed to.
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“We are starting to play better football. We already had quality. We had tried to show this before but, as we build confidence again, the team can show its quality,” Lundstram adds. “This also makes me happy.
“The centre-back position is a position I have played before. I play wherever our coach needs me. It is not a big problem for me.
“The adaptation process was difficult at first,” adds Lundstram, who started Rangers’ heartbreaking Europa League final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt back in 2022. “Because, for me, it is the first time I have been outside the UK.
“Therefore, the language and the people are new. You are in a new team and a new country. It takes time to adapt. I would have liked it to be over in a shorter time. It takes time for this process to be completed.
“Of course, we want to contribute with a goal in every match, but it is not very common for defenders to contribute to a goal. The important thing is for everyone to contribute to the team’s victory.”
