Emmanuel Fernandez makes final rallying call to Rangers after award he’ll carry forever from Ibrox
Emmanuel Fernandez has called on his Rangers teammates to keep on fighting for the Scottish Premiership title after picking up a special award.
After a bumpy start to life at Rangers following his summer move from Peterborough United, the centre-back has settled in nicely at Ibrox.
While he was rarely used by former boss Russell Martin, the 24-year-old is an ever-present figure in Danny Rohl‘s starting XI.
His form has led to reported interest from Arsenal, with Fernandez the only Rangers player included in PFA Scotland’s Premiership team of the season in April.
Off the back of Rangers’ shock 3-2 defeat to Motherwell, a result that put their title hopes at risk, Fernandez has issued a rallying cry to the Gers to give everything they have got in their final few fixtures.
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Emmanuel Fernandez blown away by recognition
The towering defender is going from strength to strength at Rangers this season, something that did not look likely under Martin.
Fernandez has scored five goals from an Expected Goals tally of 3.67; he has kept nine clean sheets, and his aerial win rate (71%) is up there with the best in the league.
And none of this would have been possible without Rohl’s trust.
| Emmanuel Fernandez’s season of two halves | |
| Games/starts under Russell Martin | 1/1 |
| Games/starts under Danny Rohl | 28/27 |
And this week, Rangers recognised the huge contribution he has made this season by winning the Gers’ Player of the Year award.
Fernandez, who is still hurting from the Motherwell setback, said this was a huge honour that he would carry with him until the end of his days.
Incidentally, Fernandez has called on his teammates to make a huge push ahead of facing Hearts on Monday.
He wrote on Instagram: “When I signed for this club, I knew what it meant… The badge, the history, the supporters who travel everywhere with us. To be voted Player of the Year in my first season here is something I’ll carry with me forever. Thank you, truly.
“But football has a way of keeping you honest. Sunday hurt. It’s still hurting. Moments like that remind you why this game demands everything you’ve got and then asks for a little more.
“Four games left. Everything to play for. I didn’t come here for individual awards; I came here to win. Same belief, same fight, same dream. Let’s go.”
Rangers cannot afford any more slip-ups
Rangers were the form team heading into the post-split fixtures after coming from behind to thump Falkirk in a remarkable 6-3 win.
But the extended break, off the back of their Scottish Cup quarter-final exit, may have done more harm than good as they fell to a surprise 3-2 loss to Motherwell.
Rangers are now a point behind rivals Celtic and four adrift of league leaders Hearts, the team they play next at Tynecastle.
If they lose that, their league title hopes will be over. However, victory against Derek McInnes’ side would put them right back into the title fight, with a crunch trip to Celtic to follow on 10 May.
They then round off their season at home to Hibernian and away to Falkirk, and it looks likely they need four wins to lift the title now.
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