Connor Goldson on family sacrifices and reason for extending Rangers stay - full Q & A

Here is what he had to say.

How important was it to have some family time after such a hectic season?

Yeah, it was needed. It was a long hard season and just to be able to be around the kids every day and actually enjoy their company and not saying bye, bye to them and not have to leave in another couple of days. It was nice just to spend time with them.

That’s what people sometimes don’t realise when playing for Rangers, there are sacrifices to be made as well?

Of course. Listen, I can’t say it’s hard for me. My wife’s at home with two kids on her own with no family around her and no one to help her so I can’t say it’s hard for me. I’m the lucky one, I get to travel to these places and play but it’s hard for my family.

Did you have any intentions of leaving or were you always focused on staying here?

I can’t say I ever had intentions of leaving because I never spoke to anyone. It was a decision for the whole family because my wife is up here, on her own, with two kids. Our family is four, five hours away. I know some people don’t think that’s a big thing but it is. But when we went away and we actually spoke about it we said we’re happy here. My wife is starting to find her feet again after Covid, she’s getting out and making friends. Our older boys are in a routine of going to nursery. I always said I was happy here, but I wanted to be appreciated and that happened within three days of me being on holiday.

You always said you were happy on the pitch but equally you need to make sure your family’s settled?

That was the thing and, to be fair, I didn’t actually speak to Rangers during the season. It came out in the press a few times that I had rejected contracts and I never did. There was one contract offered to me after we won the league. It got negotiated, but then we let football do the talking, especially during the back end of last season when we had so many important matches. So the whole thing about me rejecting contracts wasn’t true at all. That’s why when I ended up signing I put up a post on social media saying there had been so much spoken about me that was wrong. I didn’t speak at the time, I didn’t do any interviews and I think a lot of the fans took that to mean that I wanted to leave the football club and I never did.

Was that hard when fans had that opinion of you?

When the season started I came off social media, but you still see these things because your family and friends send you articles. The day I signed my contract at Rangers there was one report that morning which said I was already down the road signing for Nottingham Forest. It sums it all up. It’s not frustrating but you obviously see it and some fans actually take that to be the truth and literally 90% of it is lies.

It was a big disappointment in the Champions League qualifiers last season, how much are you hoping to get there this year?

Yeah, we are all desperate to. We’ve had four years now of being in the Europa League. I know we didn’t win it, but the journey we went on shows that we as a team are ready to take that next step. We played against teams last season that are Champions League opposition in Dortmund and Leipzig and went toe-to-toe with them so hopefully, we can overcome these two hurdles and have a right go at it.

Did it blow your mind that over 100,000 Rangers fans made it over to Seville?

It didn’t surprise me. I expected it. Even before the final, in the games against Dortmund and Leipzig, outside our hotel in Leipzig, the scenes were incredible. But you actually come to expect it. My family and friends were all there. For them to walk around and take all that in made for a very special few days. We didn’t win it, which was unfortunate. But it was an occasion and a journey that will live with me forever.

Does that disappointment fuel the desire to go one better and lift silverware this season?

I hope so yes. I think we took it a little bit easier because we had the Scottish Cup final after. If it had been the last game of the season it would’ve killed us. But having that cup final and going on to win it I think we deserved that as a group for what we went through throughout the whole season.

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How important was it to end up with another medal? Does it provide a platform to go and achieve more?

Yeah, 100%. Have we won enough over the four years I have been here? Probably not.

But at the same time, it’s been a journey. It’s been about growing this football club to where we are now. I know Rangers fans expect to win every single year but to be honest with you, the team I walked into four years ago was nowhere near to winning anything. Now, four years later, we are competing for everything. I know we didn’t win the league and that was disappointing. But now Rangers can start to look forward and say we are in a position to compete and win things. Four years ago that squad I walked into, without being disrespectful, was capable of doing it.

Antonio Colak did some damage against you last season, how good is it to have him on your side this time?

He scored two great goals against us last season. He’s looked really sharp in training too. His intensity is good, his pressing, he’s obviously a big boy who can hold it up as well. It should be another good addition to the squad and hopefully, he’ll help us moving forward.