RANGERS’ preparations for season 2021/22 are already well underway, with the first sign of that coming today as the Light Blues announced attacker Fashion Sakala will join from Belgian side KV Oostende.
Sakala will bring even more competition to Steven Gerrard’s fantastic attacking options, with Gers determined to strengthen even further as they look to defend their title, and also make a return to the Champions League.
Sakala is the first piece in Gerrard and Ross Wilson’s summer plan, and the humble Zambian internationalist is determined to be a real team player – pledging to do his best for his new clubmates and learn as much as he possibly can from them.
Speaking exclusively to RangersTV, Sakala smiled: “I am very much excited to start this exciting journey with Rangers. It has been one of my dreams, and I feel like this is a dream come true to join Rangers – one of the greatest clubs in the world.
“They have a great fanbase and a great history, and I believe we will share great memories together.
“As a player you always strive to play for others – that is the most important strength which keeps me going. I know that Rangers have great players and I am looking forward to learning from them and deliver.
“In my role as a striker, I know what the club needs from me and what the fans expect. The club has great players and I just want to learn from them and try to bring something that helps the team get the results.”
Sakala will join up with two of the key players from Sunday’s Old Firm victory – double goalscorer Kemar Roofe and assister Ianis Hagi, whom he played against while at Oostende with the duo at Anderlecht and Genk respectively.
He continued: “It has always been a dream to play with players like Roofe and Hagi. I played with them here and they are fantastic, very good players, and I know I will learn a lot from them.
“I am looking forward to starting to work with them.”
Sakala has netted 13 times in the Belgian top division so far this season, with Oostende now involved in play-off matches for a Europa League spot next season.
He revealed what he feels he can bring to Rangers, explaining: “As a striker, I am always looking to score more goals! But the most important thing is the club winning games – I am not looking only to score more goals for myself, but I will be very happy if I can help the club to win games.
“But strikers scoring goals helps the club to win games, so I am looking forward to scoring for the club. I know the club has some very good strikers, and good players, and I know I will learn a lot from them which can help me to score more goals as well.”
The opportunity too to work alongside Steven Gerrard is massive for him, and he said: “It’s such a big thing and maybe that opportunity comes once in life. I am very much excited to start working with the manager.
“From the first time he called me, I was excited and it is like a dream come true. Looking at my background, I can’t believe I am going to work with Steven Gerrard!
“But I am looking forward to starting to work with him and I am 100 per-cent willing to work with him and bring a lot of what he wants to the game.”
And, as he looked forward to joining his new club, and with Covid-19 restrictions beginning to be eased, the prospect of playing in front of a significant Ibrox crowd was put to him.
“Having a lot of fans is something I really like,” he added. “It has been one of my good feelings about Rangers as Rangers has a lot of fans!
“I have watched a lot of games from past years when the stadium was full and it is a very good atmosphere and I am looking forward to playing in the presence of thousands of fans of Rangers and it will be very nice having the support of them.”
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