Russell Martin encouraged to 'get into the head' of new Rangers recruit who can spot things other won't
A former coach who worked with the Finland international has given an insight into the type of player he is to manage
Oliver Antman won’t shy away from challenging Russell Martin and his Rangers coaching staff if he’s unhappy at what he sees, according to one of his former coaches.
The 24-year-old winger only arrived at Ibrox last month after being snapped up in a £3.5 million deal from Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles and got off to an impressive start by bagging two assists on his debut in a 3-0 Champions League qualifying win against Viktoria Plzen.
He has been unable to add to his that tally in six subsequent appearances in all competition and is still awaiting his first goal. But one man who has no doubts that Antman will soon be building on his tally for goals and assists is Flemming Pedersen.
The veteran coach has provided an insight into how the Light Blues can get the best out of the player, having previously worked with Antman during his time as technical director of FC Nordsjaelland.
Antman previously had a five-year spell with the Danish outfit between 2019 and 2024 and Pedersen is convinced is has what it takes to prove a success story in Govan. Speaking to The Rangers Review, he said: “He contributes in terms of his numbers. That is what we all want from players, we need outcomes.
“We have seen last season when he played in Holland, when he was a regular in the team, that he got those outcomes more often. At FC Nordsjælland where we played for six years, we saw that in spells.
“He came when he was 17 and started in the Under-19s. In the spring of 2019, I gave him his debut while he was still an Under-19 player. He never, even though he was there six seasons, was a regular in the starting team.
“He had the technical qualities to play in Nordsjælland and also the character. He wanted to get better, he wanted to learn. He was easy to work with because he has this intrinsic motivation to improve and better himself.
“It is also important for a manager to get into the head of Oliver because he is the type that sometimes he can have a different idea, so it is important that you understand that and understand him. Sometimes Oliver will see things that maybe his coach or his team-mates is not seeing, so you have to get into his head to get the best out of him.
“You can collaborate with him. My personality is that I like to be challenged, because then I have a chance to learn myself too. While Oliver was playing at Nordsjælland, sometimes he could challenge me and my staff. That is always interesting because you need to see it from his side.”
Oliver Antman speaks out on Rangers fans’ frustration
Antman, who is currently away on international duty with Finland, has been discussing his start to life at Ibrox. He admits he understands fans’ frustration after their poor start to the season with head coach Russell Martin already under pressure.
Reflecting on the campaign so far, he said: “We knew what the situation was like and what the expectations were within the club. I’ve had to quickly get used to what everyday life is like in a passionate football city if the team doesn’t play as expected.
“It’s been a tough start and since then, the fans have been vocal, really angry and annoyed. That’s understandable. But I am enjoying it and there’s no doubt Glasgow is the best footballing city in the world.”