DEREK CORNELIUS has shared his excitement at joining Rangers on loan from Marseille and hopes to bring experience to the club this campaign.
The Canadian international, who has played in his home country as well as across Europe, is ready to adapt to the Scottish game and make an impact this season.
In an exclusive first interview, Cornelius said: “I try to be adaptive, and just adjust to whichever situation and whatever team I am.
"I have been in many different countries, played under many different coaches and played many different styles of football. I try to bring all of these qualities together and really use them to be an asset in my play, so I am just excited to see how it is going to fit in here at Rangers.
“Pressure is a privilege, I don't look at pressure as a bad thing, it means you are playing for something important so when I hear high pressure matches, I get excited it gives me something to look forward to.
“Whether that is a derby game, matches in Europe, or important league games that you have to win, it is important to make sure that you always keep that pressure and be ready to perform in all situations.”
On his conversations with sporting director Kevin Thelwell and head coach Russell Martin, he continued: “They told me that they wanted to bring in someone who is going to show a lot of leadership qualities, someone that is going to put the team before themselves and someone that has courage to play in front of the Rangers fans and supporters.
“I liked the conversations that we had, and I am just happy to be a part of it.
“I have been speaking with the management and the coaches about the group and they said we have a really good group of players and the guys want to work hard, are willing to put the team before themselves and are willing to learn so it makes it more exciting to be here, to be a part of that group and it gives us a chance to do something special.”
On what he expects in Scottish football and what he wants to bring to the team, the 27-year-old continued: “I try to be aggressive, I try to win my duels, and I try to control the game with the ball as well.
"I try to be patient with the ball and be prepared for what the opposition is going to throw at me, so I try to be prepared for everything.
“My job is to defend and to make sure that we keep clean sheets. I have heard quite a few different things about Scottish football from physical to high-pressure games.
“It sounds like there are a lot of different challenges in Scotland. It is not the same game, or the same match every weekend which is exciting because you are going into one weekend with a certain amount of challenges and another weekend with a different one so you are always on your toes, and you have to be ready.
"That is what I have heard about Scottish football, and I am excited to finally feel it and be here.”
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