His first experience of Tynecastle as a Rangers player didn’t exactly go to plan.
In August 1998, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was subbed in a 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the opening day of the league season.
It was the young Dutchman’s “welcome to Scottish football” moment.
But it didn’t take him long to recover, as Dick Advocaat’s new-look side went on to win a domestic Treble.
And that’s why his former Ibrox team-mate Barry Nicholson reckons van Bronckhorst will be more than ready for his Gorgie bow as Gers gaffer.
His side will face Robbie Neilson ’s men today in a lunchtime cracker and 20,000 stadium sell-out. Tynecastle will be raucous with their supporters desperate to close the gap on the Old Firm at the top of the Premiership table.
Nicholson was on the bench 23 years ago when van Bronckhorst was hooked and Advocaat’s new boys looked shell-shocked.
They were two goals down inside 20 minutes before Rod Wallace pulled one back.
The ex-Ibrox midfielder expects a similar atmosphere in Edinburgh this afternoon and knows, this time, van Bronckhorst will be ready for it.
But as he recalled that worst possible start in ‘98, Nicholson told MailSport : “What I remember about that game is that we had a batch of new players who’d come in and were still getting up to speed with how Dick worked. We hadn’t gelled yet.
“There were teething problems and Dick was still trying to fix certain things.
“You could tell it was going to take time. The players were still adapting to his way of working and style of play.
“Tynecastle is never an easy place to go at the best of times. And when there are teething problems, it’s one of the last places you want to go, along with the likes of Pittodrie and Easter Road.
“That’s where you don’t want to visit when you’re trying to build a new side.
“I remember the atmosphere that day was electric, really hostile. They were desperate to beat us because of who’d taken charge of Rangers and the influx of new players.
“It was a difficult game for us. We missed a few chances to get out with a point but we certainly weren’t good enough for all three.
“Thankfully the new boys, including Giovanni, adapted pretty quickly to going to these grounds. With the quality they had, that was always going to be the case.
“Once we all got used to Dick’s style and understood where he wanted us on the pitch, we improved and went on to win the league comfortably that season.”
Nicholson believes that having already played at venues like Tynecastle is a major advantage to van Bronckhorst as Rangers boss after taking over from Steven Gerrard.
The Dutchman has got off to a flying start in the league, winning away at Easter Road and Livingston.
But his old team-mate, now a coach at Fleetwood Town, says if his players aren’t ready for what awaits them against Hearts today, they’ll suffer the consequences.
Nicholson said: “The players will need to be ready for the atmosphere. Hearts are flying right now.
“I watched them against Celtic recently and their second-half performance at Parkhead was good. They’re in a great spot.
“If the Rangers players aren’t ready for the start of this game, it’s going to be a long afternoon for them.
“I played there for Dunfermline and Aberdeen as well and it’s the best away stadium in Scotland to play at.
“It’s so tight, the stands are right on top of you – and you’ve got to be ready for it, especially at the start of the game.
“I’ve been on the end of bad defeats there. If you aren’t up for a fight or can’t handle the pressure, it’s going to be a tough day.
“The big advantage for Gio is that because he has been there as a player, he knows what to expect. You’ve seen that in the five games he’s had in charge so far.
“He played in the Premiership before, he’s played in Europe for huge club as well – so he knows what it’s all about.
“Giovanni had an unbelievable playing career, working with some incredible coaches. And that little bit of experience he had in Scotland during his three years at Rangers will have set him up nicely for knowing exactly what to expect at these places.
“Even at Livingston the other week, I thought the performance was controlled.
“These places are tough if you’re not at it. He’s obviously made sure the players have been ready and has had a good start.”
Nicholson was at Hampden as a Rangers fan for the recent Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat to Hibs when van Bronckhorst was in the stands before taking over.
The 3-1 defeat was a body blow to the Ibrox club and it was a woeful display following Gerrard’s departure.
But Nicholson says former Arsenal and Barcelona player van Bronckhorst has already put his stamp on the side.
He said: “I think the fit is right with Giovanni and everyone is excited by it.
“I’ve got mates who are big Rangers followers and they’re delighted with the appointment.
“It’s an exciting time for the club.
“I was at Hampden for the semi-final when he was in the stands.
“Everything that could go wrong did that day. Defensively, Rangers were all over the shop.
“But if you look at the games Giovanni has had, the team looks less open than when Steven was there.
“He’s only had to tweak little things because the squad was left in a good place.
“The wide players are a bit wider, which Dutch coaches are renowned for.
“The displays since he’s taken over have been night and day compared to that Hibs game.”
