Cantwell sends one-word message to Butland after Rangers win v Panathinaikos
Russell Martin’s tenure at Rangers got off to the best possible start after defeating Panathinaikos over two legs to book their place in the next qualifying round of the Champions League.
Gers went to Greece with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg victory at Ibrox and managed to secure a 1-1 draw (30 July) to win the tie 3-1 overall on aggregate.
Jack Butland impressed yet again, showing that although Martin looks to have brought in many quality players over the summer, he already had some at his disposal as well.
One of these impressive new signings looks to be Djeidi Gassama, who also managed to replicate his success from the first leg, with the winger managing to bag an equaliser on the hour mark to ensure a place in the next round.
Cantwell sends message to Butland after triumph in Europe
With the Light Blues set to take on Viktoria Plzen in the next round, supporters will begin to dream that Martin can lead Rangers to Champions League qualification in this exciting new era.
Following last night’s victory, former Rangers man Todd Cantwell had his say on Butland’s performance against Panathinaikos.
Underneath a post from the Rangers’ shot stopper on Instagram (30 July), Cantwell simply commented “Him”.
The English duo played together at Ibrox during Cantwell’s brief stint in Glasgow, which lasted from January 2023 up until last summer.
With Cantwell ultimately leaving to join Championship side Blackburn Rovers, the 27-year-old may regret his decision if Martin can continue to bring memorable European nights to Ibrox regularly.
Butland looks to have bounced back
Following numerous mistakes at the backend of the last campaign that ultimately cost him his place in the team, Butland looks to be back to his best.
Barry Ferguson was recently full of praise for Butland, having removed him from the side while in charge last season. The shot stopper’s performances in Europe should be enough for Martin to stick by him this campaign.
With Mikey Moore also on the verge of joining Gers on loan from Tottenham, Martin looks to be assembling a side with the perfect mix of youth and experience before their opening league game against Motherwell on Saturday (31 July).
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