Misfiring Rangers ace convinced he can still thrive at Ibrox after experiencing tough side of life in Glasgow
Finnish international eager to make up for lost time after underwhelming, injury-hit debut season
Oliver Antman is confident Rangers fans will see an improved version of him this season under new manager Derek McInnes as he opened up on a challenging first season at Ibrox.
The Finnish international moved to Ibrox from Eredivise side Go Ahead Eagles last summer in a £3.5m deal and the capture of his signature was hailed as a major coup at the time.
But the 24-year-old winger failed to live up to expectations, scoring only once in just eight Premiership starts during an injury-hit debut campaign.
Antman admitted that any mistake he made left him feeling “beaten to the ground” last term, but he is determined to make up for lost time now that he fully understands what it takes to play for a club of Rangers’ size.
In an interview in his homeland, Antman conceded: “Last season was quite a disappointment in every way, personally and as a team. Rangers' goal is to win everything we are involved in, the league and the cups. Finishing third is unacceptable at this club.
“Rangers are an absolutely massive club. It's really hard to put into words how big a club it is. Every time I meet Rangers supporters, they say that this is the best club in the world when we are successful. Of course, the downside is that when things are not going well, this can be a really difficult place to be. I have a little experience of that already.
“Of course, this is a shame. No matter where you walk in the city, someone will recognise you and you have to be ready to talk to everyone. It shows how great it can be if things go well. But sometimes it feels like if you make one mistake or lose the ball, you'll be beaten to the ground.
“When you play here, you really feel the pressure. Rangers spent money on me - there is no pressure for that. But there are 50,000 really passionate fans at every home game, so there is a certain pressure from that.
“This is different from what I am used to in Denmark and the Netherlands. Rangers is definitely an environment where I can develop. I've never played for such a big club before. Everything is more hands-on. You learn from every coach, but the biggest thing is being at this club.”