Rangers new signing admits he must improve one area, shares what Gerrard told him before arrival
Rangers summer signing Cedric Itten has admitted he has to improve physically if he is to adapt to Scottish football.
Itten made the move from St Gallen to Rangers in August and has scored two goals in six league appearances. Both goals were in the Gers 5-1 win away at Motherwell as the Swiss striker came off the bench to score his sides’ fourth and fifth goals.
Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Itten spoke of how he needs to improve on his physical condition and revealed that Steven Gerrard’s long term plan for the striker was one of the reasons he decided to move to Ibrox.
He said: “The game in Scotland is very fast and physical. All the players at Rangers undergo extra sessions of physical conditioning. I realise that this is an area in which I have considerable room for improvement. The staff and my teammates really did everything possible to integrate me smoothly.
“But everyone here learns from having a manager like Steven Gerrard. Everyone has the utmost respect for him. In Glasgow, football is played in a completely different way to the rest of the country – our opponents are extremely defensive.
“At times we have had 70 or 80 per cent of possession, but with very limited space to attack. Our manager believes versatile players are important and he wants me to understand this.
“Rangers are a great club with an impressive tradition. They play for trophies. Their ambitions are enormous. They made a real effort to get me and they have a long-term plan for me. When I first spoke to Steven Gerrard, he told me he had a clear idea of what my future would be. After that, I said, ‘I’m signing for them’.”
Itten is currently away with Switzerland preparing for his country’s UEFA Nations League games, following getting his Rangers career off to a decent start.
He will have known that he would have to wait for his chance at Ibrox, as Alfredo Morelos is sure to be Gerrard’s first-choice striker as long as he is performing as a Rangers player.
But he made his appearance off the bench against Motherwell count, as he opened his Gers account with a sweet half volley from just outside the box, before doubling his tally by smartly turning home from a corner later on.
This cameo showed why Gerrard brought the Swiss international to Ibrox and should also serve as a warning to Morelos, because if he isn’t performing, then there is a very capable forward on the bench ready to take his chance again, should it come.
Hopefully Itten can bag some goals on international duty and return to Rangers in even better form than he left.
In other Rangers news, Rangers want player after £100,000-a-week contract was torn up – reports.