ANDRIES ULDERINK said Rangers’ Dutch connection was always on his mind as he joined Philippe Clement’s backroom staff this week.
The experienced coach sought advice from former player Arthur Numan, and said he is excited by the challenge and intensity of football in Scotland.
In an exclusive first interview with RangersTV, he said: “I had been at Antwerp for two seasons, and I was looking for a new challenge. I had a little bit of time to look around and through contacts, I had some video calls and meetings with the manager.
“It all starts with the club, the history of the club, and also there are a lot of Dutch people connected to Rangers. Dick Advocaat, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ronald de Boer, Arthur Numan and Fernando Ricksen, so there’s a lot of Dutch history and that was on my mind.
“I had a couple of phone calls with Arthur Numan, and after his career he stayed in Glasgow for many years, so he was very enthusiastic about a lot of things. He mentioned the European games and how many fans there were in the stadiums and the atmosphere, and also the pressure that is always here at the club, so he was really positive about Rangers.
“In Scotland, the football intensity is very strong, especially at Rangers so that was important for me as well. I spoke with the manager about football, his vision, and his aims for the next couple of years. He told me a little bit about the staff, the club and it was exciting. I am happy to be here.”
Turning to coaching at the age of 24, Ulderink’s experience includes spells at Ajax, Reading, FC Twente and most recently Royal Antwerp.
Reflecting on his coaching journey so far, he said: “When I was 24, I started coaching at quite a high level in amateur football and from there on it kept on going and going. I have learned so much from other coaches, not always from the head coach, from other assistant coaches, youth coaches, but also from players.
“The training sessions on the pitch are the most important thing and what I love in coaching. Preparing the exercises with colleagues, what the manager wants to see football-wise and try to help the players in developing the style of play or developing an individual player.
“I like that a lot, watching the clips, but also in a football team there is always a lot going on at home, somebody is sick, somebody gets sad news, someone gets a baby born so to deal and handle with all these kinds of things is also important.
“We have brought in some young players, very talented players, but they need to make the next steps so when you see that they succeed in that, and you can help them a little bit that gives a lot of energy.”