ROBIN PROPPER says it was a ‘no brainer’ to make the switch to Glasgow when Rangers came calling after joining the club recently.
The defender made the move to the Light Blues on August 1 from FC Twente in the Netherlands as Philippe Clement added further strength to his backline ahead of the new campaign.
Speaking to the media for the first time as a Ger ahead of their second league match of the season tomorrow, the Dutchman says it was the right time in his career for a change having spent all of his playing days so far in his homeland.
He commented: “I think I had 10 or 12 years in the Eredivisie in Holland.
“It is a good competition and I really liked it but for me to go and look somewhere in a new stadium with new fans and a new country that was always a dream of mine.
“For my family and I we wanted to do that one more time and if Rangers wanted me if was a no brainer for me.
“Think the opportunity to move abroad was gone? No, I tried to do my career step by step and I think I have now found the right option to go abroad.
“I was feeling confident that it was going to happen, there was a few times earlier in my career where there was a possibility to go abroad but that wasn't the club for me and now Rangers came.
“I am really glad that I am here. It is a big club, in Holland you speak a lot about Rangers and the history and what they have done already, so I am really glad that I am at Rangers now.”
The centre-back spoke of the Dutch connection at the football club and revealed he spoke to several players ahead of making the move to Scotland.
He continued: “A few Dutch players have played for Rangers and also a few coaches.
“It was nice to see that a few big players played and made history here.
“I talked to some of the players who already were here and played for Rangers, in a quick amount of time I talked to them.
“Who I spoke too? Cyriel Dessers, I played with him at Heracles [Almelo] and I have played against him, I directly called him.
“Sam Lammers, who just made the switch to FC Twente I talked too, of course the coach I talked to a few times, so I tried to in a quick amount of time do most of the research I can do.”
Propper has yet to make his debut for the club but could do so against Motherwell in the first home fixture of the Scottish Premiership season tomorrow, insisting he is ready to play if called upon by his manager.
He added: “Am I fit and ready to start? Yes, I did all my work at FC Twente in preparing for the season.
“I had five or six weeks with some friendly matches so I think I am ready and can play now.
“The players told me all about the fans. It is a big stadium, it is not Ibrox I know but still it is a big stadium and I hope I can see a lot of the fans cheering tomorrow.”
“Has watching on the last two games made me even more excited to play? Yes of course, it is nice to see what the difference is like in Holland compared to here.
“I have to adjust; I am new so I have to learn quickly to what I have to do to become a player in the first squad.”
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