Jon Daly knows exactly how high the standards are at Rangers – because he was once booed off the pitch at 4-0 up during his time at Ibrox.
Irish striker Daly was brought in during the journey back up through the leagues in 2013 and scored 25 goals on their way to the League One title in 2013/14. He was one of Ally McCoist‘s final signings as they won the third tier without losing a game. But despite that, morale among punters wasn’t exactly high as they battled their way back up the divisions – and Daly remembers precisely how high the demands were from the stands.
Daly was speaking to Gambling.com, who rank and review the best online casinos and betting sites, and said: “I think when you’re playing for a club like Rangers, you’re expected to not only win, but to win well – there’s a certain expectation there. I remember when I was there in the lower leagues, we were I think 4-0 up in one of the games, and we got booed off because we didn’t play a certain way.
“So there is an expectation there, and as a player, coach or manager you have to embrace that. You have to take it on your shoulders and carry it forward. And some of their performances are disappointing, but there’s some good players there that when they’re fully settled, I’m sure will turn things around and hopefully start to close the gap.”
Daly went on, discussing his move to Ibrox and how it first started three years ahead of time, after he won the Scottish Cup with Dundee United. “I think the move itself came from when I spoke to Ally McCoist the year we won the Scottish Cup in 2010,” he said. “We actually knocked Rangers out, and the way he conducted himself after that defeat, I had a lot of respect for him.
“When he came and asked me to come and sign for the club I didn’t even have to think twice. It was a great opportunity to go and play for such a big club. From my point of view I didn’t look at it as me being Irish, I just looked at it as a football player, and having the chance to go and play for a huge football club in front of a fantastic crowd.
“And in financial terms it was a better wage, so I’m not going to shy away from and dodge that. It made sense for me at that stage of my career to go and play for Rangers.”
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