Former Rangers striker Cedric Itten has revealed that his time at Ibrox still means the world to him, as he continues to embrace the nickname 'Ced the Ted' and the memories of helping the club secure title 55.
The Swiss international was part of Steven Gerrard's side that stopped Celtic's 10-in-a-row charge and claimed a record-breaking league win in 2021. Itten was back at Hampden on Tuesday night as part of the Switzerland squad that spoiled Sebastien Pocognoli's Scotland bow.
Itten on Rangers fans and 'Ced the Ted'
Speaking after the match, the Werder Bremen star said: "Rangers have never left me. Everywhere I go, I see people from Scotland. I have been on holiday in places like Turkey and Greece, and they come up to me and talk about 55."
He added: "I always meet Rangers supporters on holiday and I love it. They still use my nickname too - 'Ced the Ted'. I love their passion for football. It's really unique. On Tuesday before the Scotland game, I posted that I was back in town and a lot of the replies mentioned 'Ced the Ted'. I love that and it was amazing to see. Hopefully Rangers win the league again. I am cheering them on."
Goosebumps and Europa League memories
Itten was part of the Rangers team that won the title and then reached the Europa League final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The 29-year-old said: "I get goosebumps when I think about 55 and reaching the Europa League final. Those memories will stick with me forever and it's great to come back and play in Glasgow. My fingers are crossed for Rangers and I will watch how they do in the games. I try to keep an eye on the results as much as possible. I was so happy to see the two Old Firm games go the blue way!"
The return to Hampden was a pleasant one for Itten, allowing him to go over old ground and catch up with some old faces. He acknowledged: "It was nice to be back. It was a great experience. I won a trophy at Hampden with Rangers and it's always a nice memory to come back here. I had a great time in Scotland."
Reunion with Nathan Patterson and old team-mates
Itten also revealed he swapped shirts with Nathan Patterson on Tuesday night, saying: "It was great to see him and brought back a lot of memories for us. We won 55 together and it's good to see him with Torino after he did well in the Premier League. He was a good team-mate here and we spoke a bit about our time together at Rangers."
He acknowledged that the bond with his former Rangers squad remains strong: "All of the players I played with have left the club now. James Tavernier was the last to go. But I am still in contact with the guys and I had a great time at Rangers. The squad of players that won the league will always have that bond. I speak to them on Instagram and when I spoke to Nathan after the game, he said that everyone had really good careers. It's nice to see the boys doing so well and this bond that we have will stick together forever."
Itten moved to Ibrox from St Gallen in 2020, spending two years at the club. He scored eight goals but made just 14 starts in 48 appearances. He went on loan to Greuther Furth before returning to his homeland with Young Boys. He stated: "I knew that I had to be patient and work hard, but I felt I did well for the minutes I had. I scored goals in those games but then it got to the point where I said, 'Okay, I need to play more - especially to stay involved with the national team. That is why I went back to Young Boys in Switzerland. But I learned a lot at Rangers and used the time when I wasn't just focusing on games. It was a good time for my career."
Nations League prediction
Switzerland have opened their Nations League campaign with maximum points after wins over North Macedonia and the Scots. Itten believes it will be a two-way fight with Scotland for top spot. He predicted: "I believe it will be between us and Scotland who finishes first in the group. Scotland have a good team but we played really well in the final period of the game. We made it hard for them but they have a good team."
