£5m Rangers hitman's turnaround reaches new peak after painful path to Old Firm glory moment
Forward reveals he could barely train during the week before shrugging off injury concerns to deliver at Parkhead
Ryan Naderi had spent much of the week battling a painful and swollen ankle, but the Rangers striker never considered allowing an injury to keep him out of Sunday’s Old Firm showdown at Parkhead.
The Czech forward was still feeling the effects of Mika Baur’s heavy challenge seven days prior and manager Derek McInnes had admitted beforehand that Naderi’s ankle was “a mess”. Yet when the first domestic Old Firm fixture of the season arrived, the 23-year-old was determined to play his part.
He did considerably more than that, producing a commanding display before scoring the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute to secure three valuable Premiership points and complete an dramatic turnaround in his fortunes.
It was Naderi’s fourth goal of the campaign and, given the significance of the occasion, potentially his most important since arriving at the club from Hansa Rostock in January. The pain that had followed him through the week was a distant memory by the final whistle.
“Of course, it was hurting throughout the week,” he admitted. “But I mean, these games, especially if you have a break afterwards - you just can’t miss them. My ankle is still a bit thick so I was carrying it all week before the game. But I knew we had a break afterwards so now I can recover.”
Away fans absence a unique experience for Naderi
There was one obvious downside. Naderi would have preferred to celebrate his winner in front of thousands of Rangers supporters rather than in the stunned silence of a Celtic-dominated stadium.
His goal came after Viljami Sinisalo spilled Kim Min-su’s driven effort, leaving Naderi with a straightforward finish. Celtic Park fell silent as his team-mates raced towards him in celebration.
Even then, the striker was reluctant to claim all the glory, insisting the strike itself was less important than the collective performance which produced the victory.
“Yeah, it’s true that it was a strange feeling when the stadium went silent,” he admitted. “Obviously, it’s a lot nicer when you have your fans who celebrate with you.
“But for me, in that situation, the ball was just in front of me and the goal was pretty empty. I just had to score it. I don’t think the goal was way more special than others. On Sunday, it was more about the team effort from us.”
That understated response sums up Naderi’s growing importance to McInnes. When he arrived from Germany’s third-tier for a reported £5 million, expectations were high and the striker initially struggled to meet them.
‘It’s about sticking with yourself and having trust in yourself’
Injuries disrupted his progress, while his finishing was questioned by supporters. But McInnes has long valued the qualities Naderi brings beyond goals: his strength, running power and willingness to press defenders.
Those attributes have become increasingly apparent in recent weeks, with Naderi now looking far more comfortable in the demands of leading the Rangers attack. He was always confident of overcoming a difficult start to life in Glasgow.
He said: “In football, you know this. It’s not the first time that it’s like this because things can change really fast. Right now, it’s working pretty well for myself. But it’s always about sticking with yourself and having trust in yourself.
“I’ve had good team-mates who have supported me throughout all the phases and it’s important I praise some of the players who aren’t playing so much right now. Because they’re so important to the team. If you don’t have that energy at the club, then it doesn’t work for any of us. So they deserve big praise as well.”