STEVE SIMONSEN insists he hasn’t just joined Rangers to make up numbers after penning a deal with the Light Blues until the end of the season. The former England under-21 goalkeeper agreed his long-protracted move to Ibrox on Friday night and in turn that allowed Scott Gallacher to go out on loan to Airdrieonians. Many expect Cammy Bell will be the club’s number one this season, with the experienced Simonsen providing back-up as much as anything. The ex-Everton star is adamant he’ll provide good competition for a place between the posts in keeping with the intense push for places in other areas of the team. Simonsen told RangersTV: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be here and it’s an honour to be part of a football club like this. “I’ve been training with the boys and getting a taste of the place for three or four weeks now and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m just delighted the deal has happened. “The manager has stated he wants competition in all departments of the pitch and you can see what sort of squad we’ve got now at Rangers. “I’m here to push Cammy as hard as I possibly can and if I get a chance along the way, I’ll grab it with both hands. “No footballer wants to sit on the bench all the time and hopefully the two of us can have a healthy rivalry.” Simonsen’s trial at Rangers was longer than most due to the fact Ally McCoist had to get Gallacher out first. And the 34-year-old has been impressed with the standard of player the manager has been able to attract over the summer. Simonsen added: “You’ve got lads in the squad who have played in the Premier League in Scotland and for good teams as well. “They’ve been in top-half teams and the standard of our pool is magnificent. It’s not a League One-standard squad at all. “That’s a credit to the club, the manager and the coaching staff, who have managed to assemble a group like that. “We know how difficult it has been but the lads who are here now are great and are very good footballers.”
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 11:11:09 +0000
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