COLE MCKINNON hopes his experience of senior football will be invaluable tomorrow afternoon as Rangers B host UEFA Europa Conference League side Breidablik.
The 20-year-old, who netted on his Gers first-team debut back in May 2022, spent last season on loan at Partick Thistle in his first extended spell in men’s football.
And the young midfielder hopes his stint in the Scottish Championship has hardened his resolve as he tussles with opponents competing in European competition.
Speaking to the official Rangers website ahead of the clash, McKinnon believes the young Gers must get their preparations right: “I’m absolutely buzzing for it, as I know all the boys are. We’ve stepped up our preparations for the game this week and it’s one we’re looking forward to.
“Hopefully we can get back to winning ways and put in a good performance against a huge team.
“The way that senior teams prepare themselves can be a lot different, as well as the speed of the play and physical side of the game; it can be quite hard to keep up with.
“With the way the boys conduct themselves all throughout the week, I’m sure if we keep on doing that it shouldn’t be too hard. The differences are there, but hopefully the boys can step up to it.
“I was training a lot with the first-team at Rangers so I was slowly getting up to speed [before I joined Partick Thistle on loan].
“I thought I did quite well when I joined initially, but it can be tough training at that speed for a full year. I picked up a few injuries and illnesses, but that’s perhaps because I wasn’t as used to senior football every single day.
“I hope that I can take my experience into the game and try to help some of the younger boys through it. As one of the ‘older’ players, I’d like to put some of the younger players on my shoulders and guide them through the game.”
The visit from the Icelandic top-flight side is sure to prove a stern test for the Light Blues, with Breidablik looking to continue their momentum following the conclusion of their domestic campaign as they navigate a tricky UEFA Europa Conference League group alongside Gent, Zorya Luhansk and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Gers B have gone toe-to-toe with a host of elite academies this campaign, as well as facing a range of first-teams, and McKinnon insists the side must be ruthless in both penalty boxes if they are to prevail with a positive outcome.
He continued: “It’s always going to be in the back of your head, but it’s something that you need to try put it to the side and focus on how you’re going to play and ways to beat them. You can’t put doubts in your head, but it’s a game that the boys will all be thriving off and it’s a big game.
“We should have gotten a lot more out of the [Manchester United] game. It comes down to your chances at the end of the day, and we didn’t take any on the day. We know that good teams can punish you if you don’t take your chances, and that will be the case on Sunday.
“The main point for me is that when you come in at half-time, you can see a few of the boys are tired already only 45 minutes into the game.
“You need to go back out for the second half and keep that mentality and belief that you can win the game. If the boys do that then it should be a good game.”