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Daily Record
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Mark Walker

Filip Helander shares Rangers 'back to the top' joy as he pinpoints the key to title triumph

Rangers centre-back Filip Helander can't stop smiling after helping seal the title, as he hailed the consistency behind the long-awaited win.

Steven Gerrard's side officially sealed the Premiership crown on Sunday when Celtic drew with Dundee United, sparking wild celebrations from players and fans.

Incredibly Rangers have conceded just nine goals so far this term, and the Swedish international believes that consistency has been key to the triumph.

Helander said: "I'm part of a defence who take pride in clean sheets.

"Our success has been down to our levels of consistency because we have never really been very bad in any match. And at the same time, we have played very well in plenty of matches.

"We have a style of football that we follow. It's Steven Gerrard's third season here and some of the players have been here for that time. I think all the pieces have fallen into place. It's a long-term project that's worked.

"We are all walking about with a smile on our faces.

"For me personally, apart from getting Covid, the season has gone very well. I have been injury-free too and that's what you want as a player. It's definitely been a great season.

"Considering everything the club went through, to get back to the top is huge for everyone. For us, the players, but above all the fans.

(SNS Group)

"Football is so incredibly big here in Glasgow and there are so many supporters here. For one half of the city, it has been a long wait, no title in ten years and so there have been many people who have broken the Covid restrictions in the squares and outside the stadium.

"We have not been able to celebrate as we wanted, but when we saw that Celtic lost points and it was clear we had won, then there was a little celebration at the training ground. It's great for us players to win titles. There are some who play a whole career and do not win anything at all. It's something you will take with you for the rest of your life.

"I won two tiles with Malmo, but I rate this one very highly indeed because winning something abroad is a bit special. Malmo are a club that I have a lot of feelings for because I am from there.

"But at the same time, when I see what this means for some players in our team and for supporters around the city, it is obviously something you are proud of and something I will definitely rank very highly on the day I stop playing football.

"I have seen the speculation surrounding Steven Gerrard and I understand that because he has performed so well with us and there will always be rumours about him.

"Of course we players want to keep him, but that is not an issue for us. As a player, you want to keep your manager as long as the team performs as we do. I hope he stays.

"He is a coach that everyone looked up to as a player and he is also a good manager. We have a very good coaching team. He is great at motivating the team and making us realise the importance of every match."

And Helander, in an interview in Aftonbladet, is concentrating on a special end of the season, with Rangers in the Europa League and an international reunion with the returning Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Euro 2020.

He said: "It will be a tough game against Slavia, but we have performed well in Europe so far and we need to continue to do so if we want to go as far as possible.

"I hope to play for Sweden at the World Cup qualifiers and at the Euros. Zlatan is a great player who has been away from the national team for a long time, but seems motivated to come back.

"If Zlatan wants to join us, he will add a lot, it goes without saying. After all, he is the best player we have ever had.

"It's really not a question of what he will bring, which national team would not have benefited from him on the pitch?"

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