Part 2: Alex McLeish RYDC Exclusive

RYDC hosted a Twitter Q&A with former Rangers manager Alex McLeish last week and we’ll feature some of the content from his session in the coming days.

The ex-Light Blues boss, who won seven trophies in five years at Ibrox, was delighted to answer questions from supporters and covered a variety of topics.

 We began yesterday when Big Eck revealed Croatian hitman Dado Prso was his best signing at Rangers.

 Today, he discusses the importance of beating Celtic in the semi-final of the league cup in 2002 – a crucial victory clinched with a 30-yard wonder strike by Dutch defender Bert Konterman at Hampden.

 2001/2002 would conclude with another terrific victory over Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final – Peter Lovenkrands bagged the winner seconds before the end of a thrilling Hampden showpiece.

 But Alex says that 2-1 extra-time victory in February 2002 was the catalyst for the cup double.

 He recalled: “Helicopter Sunday was the spine tingle. To think I could win a Treble as Rangers manager was beyond my wildest dreams but one of the most important games for us was beating Celtic in that cup semi-final at Hampden when Bert Konterman hit that 30-yarder.

 “That was important. I remember one of the press guys said I had a very under-whelming welcome when I was appointed.

 “I said it was up to me to prove myself to the Rangers fans that I am the man for this job.

 “Celtic were the dominant team the previous year and Bert hit that screamer. I can’t stress the importance of that win. We went on to win the competition and of course the Scottish Cup Final in 2002.

 “I watched that game back recently during lockdown, unfortunately we are all still enduring Covid-19. We actually played a superb game of football that day. We played some lovely stuff on the floor. 

 “Celtic were a very, very strong team and we were worried they could bully us. They always had a great chance of scoring with the players they had and the system Martin O’Neill played and we just said whatever Celtic do we have to score one more goal than them.

 “Now it sounds simple and that was the way it turned out and Peter’s winner was just absolutely amazing with just a few seconds left to go.

 “Neil McCann sent over a beautiful cross and Peter was there. He had a knack for a goal and was also really good down the middle.

 “He was so quick and he stole in to score. Peter had a really good instinct for a goal whether he played on the wing or through the middle.

“That win didn’t cement my relationship with Rangers fans, that came the next season when we won the Treble, but that goal was certainly one of the greatest feelings I have ever had in football.”

 Alex is pictured promoting the Rangers Youth Development Company.

Since 2002, profit from RYDC products has gone to the Rangers Academy with well over £8.5 million donated in that time.

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