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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Rangers FC news round-up: Roofe fitness update, Goldson Europa League speech, United victory

Rangers FC news round-up: Roofe fitness update, Goldson Europa League speech, United victory

RANGERS this afternoon defeated Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side returned to league duty after their midweek Europa League heroics.

James Tavernier and Amad Diallo were on the scoresheet at Ibrox.

Here's your Rangers round-up...

Kemar Roofe fitness update

GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST insists Rangers will push striker Kemar Roofe as hard as they can to ensure he is fit for the Europa League final.

The Jamaican internationalist hasn't featured for Van Bronckhorst's side since the Scottish Cup win over Celtic and missed both legs of the semi-final triumph against RB Leipzig.

Rangers will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the showpiece finale a week on Wednesday as they set their sights on European silverware in Seville.

And Van Bronckhorst knows he must manage the squad through the fixtures with Ross County and Hearts to ensure his side are in peak condition for their shot at glory.

Van Bronckhorst said: “The remaining two games in the league, they are all in purpose to get us as fit as possible as a group for the cup finals.

“I am very pleased today we could rest some players and give chances to the academy players in the end. Also Leon (King) started.

“So the next 10 days is like finding the right balance between keeping the momentum going but also keeping everyone fresh and ready for the last two games.

“He (Roofe) is going to work hard to make it. Of course he didn’t make for last Thursday’s game. That means he’s got two weeks to prepare more.

“All he wants is to be available for those games so he will push himself. My medical staff will do everything possible to get him fit.

“We have to wait and see how it goes but the intentions are there to have him fit.”

Goldson's pre-Europa League clash speech

CONNOR GOLDSON delivered an inspiring speech to his team-mates just seconds before they began warming up for their Europa League semi-final; match against RB Leipzig.

Rangers had to come back from a one-goal deficit to make it to the final of the European competition after a late loss in Germany.

But Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side turned in an excellent performance in front of a packed Ibrox to advance after winning 3-1 in Glasgow.

And before the Rangers player went out to warm-up for the match, Goldson barked a message to pump up his team-mates.

Footage captured in the the Rangers TV Inside Ibrox video from the Euro triumph revealed Goldson's words ahead of the match.

The defender shouted: “I don’t care who they are, what their name is, what they’re worth.

"They haven’t got a team like us. Come on, no respect. Lets go.”

Rangers 2 Dundee United 0

THE first step on the road to Seville has been taken. This was a case of one down, one two to go before Rangers have their shot at Europa League glory.

It is that ambition that dominates the agenda right now. Rangers are just counting down the days until the meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt and what could be their crowning moment on the continent.

There was somewhat of an end-of-season feel around the action on the park at times here but events off it were a constant reminder that this campaign is far from finished as Dundee United were beaten.

The final fixtures of their season as champions are almost an inconvenience now. The Scottish Cup showpiece at Hampden could be the cherry on the cake rather than the consolation as Van Bronckhorst and his players dare to dream of a remarkable double this month.

This is a season that promised much but threatened to deliver little. Now it could go down as the most cherished in a generation, and perhaps even of all time.

It was one of the heroes of the win over RB Leipzig that earned the win here as James Tavernier continued his incredible season with his 17th goal of the term. The other came from Amad Diallo on a day that was as satisfactory as it was celebratory for Rangers.

Supporters arrived sporting sombreros and holding beach balls under their arms. Inflatables were scattered around the stands as the aforementioned balls were bounced up and down the rows and accumulated at the side of the pitch.

A chant of ‘We’re the famous Glasgow Rangers and we’re going to Seville’ was followed by a rendition of ‘Y viva Espana’ over the PA system. Ibrox was in party mode once again.

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