'Cool cat' Findlay Curtis ignites Russell Martin's Rangers reign

While caller faces person arrived astatine the dawn of a caller Rangers era, Russell Martin has continually reiterated his openness to beryllium amazed by members of the squad helium inherited.

It would beryllium just to presume Findlay Curtis files into that class aft the teen was trusted to commencement connected the near of Martin's onslaught successful his first competitory lucifer successful charge astatine Ibrox.

The archetypal limb of the Champions League second-round qualifier against Panathinaikos was conscionable a sixth Rangers quality for the 18-year-old. It was lone his 2nd start.

"He has the athleticism and endowment to play successful his squad for sure, but helium besides has the character," Martin explained pre-match.

With Rangers looking nervy and susceptible successful a archetypal fractional Martin described arsenic "uncomfortable", Curtis eased increasing hostility by demanding the ball, driving inside, and unleashing a stunning onslaught to ignite Martin's reign.

A archetypal extremity successful elder football, it was a infinitesimal that swung momentum and had erstwhile Rangers wide men waxing lyrical.

"Brilliant, son. He's a chill feline this kid, I archer you," ex-Ibrox winger and manager Neil McCann said connected Premier Sports. "That's a fantastic finish, I emotion that," was the presumption of Peter Lovenkrands connected BBC Sportsound.

Martin said Curtis "had immoderate pugnacious moments" successful the opening half, but connected his archetypal commencement connected the European stage, the youngster responded to astir single-handedly displacement the temper and the people of the crippled astatine Ibrox.

Six minutes aft opening the scoring, different delicate interaction and driving tally from the teen resulted successful Panathinaikos' Georgios Vagiannidis picking up a 2nd yellowish card.

That sending-off allowed Rangers to instrumentality power of a contention that was overwhelming them successful the opening period, and Curtis' replacement, Djeidi Gassama, sealed a captious two-goal first-leg triumph with different good strike.

"We expected it to beryllium pugnacious - they are a truly bully team," Martin told BBC Scotland. "We had immoderate uncomfortable moments successful the archetypal half.

"We were acold from the finished article, but the players showed quality and a willingness to combat and to tally for each other. And, arsenic the crippled went on, they started to look aft the shot better."

In a hard opening period, Curtis was not unsocial successful toiling. After a agleam opening fewer minutes, Rangers ceased immoderate power by continually giving up possession arsenic the visitors spurned aggregate chances.

Panathinaikos had managed 22 touches successful the absorption container by the interval, portion Rangers were connected conscionable six.

The hosts had goalkeeper Jack Butland, restored to the starting line-up aft being dropped astatine the extremity of past season, to convey for astatine slightest 3 fantabulous saves.

Martin hailed Butland arsenic an "outstanding goalkeeper" earlier challenging his players to attack adjacent week's 2nd leg, which volition beryllium shown unrecorded connected the BBC, with "the aforesaid mentality and the aforesaid willingness to tally and more".

Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson expressed caution contempt a "perfect" first-leg result.

"Maybe [the result] doesn't archer the afloat communicative of the match," helium added connected BBC Sportsound. "Until the sending-off, Panathinaikos were good successful the game.

"Rangers person enactment themselves successful a large position, but it's not implicit yet. European shot is hard and Panathinaikos volition consciousness they person thing to prove."

What did you marque of Rangers' show successful Martin's competitory debut?

What did you deliberation of Curtis' show and Gassama's impact? And what astir Butland's effect to returning to the side?

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