The bonds that have been formed – with his manager, his teammates and his supporters – will only grow stronger for Neraysho Kasanwirjo. He is, he believes, in a good place and the right place on and off the pitch at Rangers.
Kasanwirjo was a somewhat surprising and understated recruit in the closing hours of the transfer window. He arrived from Feyenoord to fill a squad place but was not expected to take a starting jersey in his first weeks in Glasgow.
Philippe Clement put his faith in the Dutchman on Thursday evening. Just days after a nine-minute run-out against Dundee, Kasanwirjo was given a start in the Europa League fixture with Malmo.
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It was an opportunity that the defender made the most of. A solid showing at left-back contributed to a fine 2-0 win for Rangers as Nedim Bajrami and Ross McCausland got the goals to secure a merited three points. It was the latest step in the right direction individually and collectively this term.
“I think it's always good to connect with the supporters and see them after the game,” Kasanwirjo said of the scenes in Sweden as Clement’s side took the acclaim of the travelling fans. “They gave us so much energy and you want to give this back.
“So I think it was a good game from all sides. And now we have to focus on Sunday. I think when I made my debut in Ibrox, it was really special because I was waiting for it.
“And the coach put me on. It was a really good feeling for me as well, to see the people, to see the great stadium and good support.
"I think we can compliment one another, you can see we're getting to know each other."
— Joshua Barrie (@JoshuaBarrieRR) September 27, 2024
Robin Propper on his partnership with John Souttar.
👉 Watch his full interview from last night on that, Kasanwirjo, his start at Rangers and more: https://t.co/IjwA6dbXS6 pic.twitter.com/YdZrRxEgF9
“It’s been good. I think the coach helped me as well because when I don't understand something, he explains it in Dutch for the players as well. We can communicate in Dutch so it's easier for us.
“I'm totally focused on getting minutes. I want to play as much as I can. I don't care where it is, just where I can help the team and play. I had a good chat with the coach and I want to play as much as I can. This is why I made a step to Rangers.
“With Robin, we can also communicate in Dutch. He's a good guy, a good player. For me to stand next to him is really good because he's really direct and he's really directing what he wants, what he expects from me, what I expect from him. We understand each other.”
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