Manny Fernandez learned his trade at the school of hard knocks. Now he is determined to prove he can make the grade at Ibrox as he puts in the hours on and off the park to earn pass marks under the guidance of mentor Danny Rohl.
There were times earlier in the defender’s career where he could never have imagined playing in the Europa League or scoring in front of big crowds at Ibrox. Loan stints in the lower echelons of the English game were designed to test him and improve him but nothing could truly prepare the former Peterborough United stopper for life in Glasgow.
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Injuries to John Souttar and Derek Cornelius opened the door for Fernandez and has manoeuvred his sizeable frame into position at the heart of Rohl’s rear guard. A start against Livingston was marked with a goal and Fernandez has played every minute of the last three matches for Rangers.
“To be fair, it’s been good,” Fernandez said of his recent run in the team. “It’s something I’ve waited for and something I’ve wanted for a while now. I just need to keep my rhythm now, keep focused and keep going.
“Yeah, 100 per cent [I understand the club]. I can feel it. I know the pressure but I like pressure. That’s the reason I wanted to play football when I was growing up. I feel like I’m a player who can be good when it gets hard. I think I can do a lot for this team.
“The main thing is just to stay focused on the game and what the manager wants us to do. And just keep communicating with your team-mates.
“I think I’ve had a positive impact on the team. Obviously, there’s still improvements to come but I feel it’s been positive so far.
“Playing in the Europa League the other day was amazing because a few years ago I started in college. Then I signed for Gillingham, had two years there, then didn’t have a club for a bit during Covid.
“I went into a non-league club before ending up at Peterborough where I had four years. So I couldn’t be more grateful to now be playing in the Europa League. There’s nothing more I can ask for.”
Those days with the likes of Ramsgate, Sheppey United and Margate already feel like a long time ago for Fernandez. He finds himself under the spotlight and in a team who have failed to produce often enough this term. Given that £3.5million was spent to bring him to Ibrox in the summer, it is fair to say that he is operating with a weight on his shoulders.
That pressure does not burden him, however. His previous stops in the game give him perspective. His presence is hard to miss but he is finding his feet and finding his voice.
“Before I came in, I was a bit nervous to see how people would be here because I know there’s people with stature here,” Fernandez said. “But they’ve been amazing. No-one has been a problem, they’ve all been welcoming.
“You can talk to everyone and have banter with them. If you ever need help, there are many players you can go to like Jack Butland, Liam Kelly, Tavernier, any of them.
“I was expecting what I’ve come into here. Nothing has surprised me. I know there’s pressure here and people want us to win. They want us to win every game and that’s what we have to try and do.
“My eldest brother has been my biggest influence. When I was younger growing up, every day he’d take me to the park and make me run.
“We trained hard. When I had a game where I thought I was good, he’d say I wasn’t good enough. Every single game, he wants me to do better and better. He comes up from time to time but it’s a distance from London.”
That family factor has always been important for Fernandez. He wears the No. 37 jersey in honour of his elder brother, who passed away while the Londoner was making a name for himself in the game. He seeks to make those around him proud.
Naturally, his nearest and dearest have shaped him as a player and a person. He is thankful for the support of those he works with and works for at Ibrox and speaks fondly of the impact that Rohl has made on him over recent weeks. The Rangers support will back him in their own way, too.
“I don’t look into the scrutiny,” Fernandez said. “I can feel the pressure in the stadium but I don’t listen to outside noise, I just focus on my game and what the manager wants me to do. It’s about what I need to do for the team and try to play every game if I can.
“I find criticism easier to deal with because of where I’ve come from, 100 per cent. I’ve been set back so many times in my career already - I don’t think anything can set me back again. I’ll just keep going, keep fighting and showing the world what I can do.
“Sometimes I turn to my family when I have a setback but a lot of times growing up, I was an individual. My mum wasn’t always there because she was busy, she was a single mum, so it was difficult.
“Sometimes I had to look after myself growing up so I grew up fast as a person. I feel like I can turn to other people, but I have belief in myself and what I can do.”
The coming weeks will give Fernandez plenty of opportunities to win over the doubters within the Ibrox crowd. Rohl’s options are limited right now and the likely loss of Nasser Djiga over the festive period only adds to the issues that the German is facing.
A trip to face Dundee United clearly falls into the must-win category for Rangers, especially on the back of their stalemate against Falkirk on Sunday. Fernandez and Djiga will be called upon once again as the summer recruits both look to prove themselves.
“It was our first time playing together against Livingston,” Fernandez said. “So it’s just a case of building and talking to each other. From there, we’ll only get better. We won’t get worse than we are. So it’s about building, watching clips before and after games - and seeing how we can do better.
“I’ve always looked at myself as a leader, especially last season at Peterborough. I was in a young team but I was one of the oldest in the backline at the time. I’m not afraid to take on that role and communicate with my team-mates. I enjoy it and that’s what I see myself becoming.
“For us, we just need to take one game at a time and not focus on anything else. Let’s see where that gets us. That will be the best thing for us. If we focus on other stuff, it becomes a distraction.”
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