Dan Neil knows exactly what he is getting into at Rangers, having watched countless games and experienced the Ibrox atmosphere firsthand. The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined from Sunderland this summer, is determined to help the club emerge from Celtic's shadow and return to winning silverware.
Floodlight failure foreshadowed move
Neil's first encounter with Rangers came in a pre-season friendly in the Algarve in 2022, when a floodlight failure cut short the match after 45 minutes with his Sunderland side leading 1-0. Reflecting on that game, Neil said: "I remember the game well. We'd just been promoted to the Championship and managed to nick a 1-0 win over 45 minutes! Rangers had a really good team then as well, so it was a good test."
He added: "I remember the Rangers support, they pretty much filled the stand and made a hell of a lot of noise for 45 minutes. I've watched a million Rangers games on telly and all the Old Firm games, so I can see how big the support is. I can imagine when Ibrox is full it's absolutely bouncing and I'm looking forward to playing for them."
Leadership and the challenge of Ibrox
As a Championship-winning captain at Sunderland, Neil believes he can provide the leadership that Rangers have lacked in recent seasons. "That word 'challenge' was probably the biggest thing in my decision-making in terms of coming up here," he said. "The last two years have been very successful in the Championship in England and I wanted a new challenge, a new chapter almost and a new goal to strive for. And when Rangers came calling I thought, 'This is the perfect challenge for me,' and that was pretty much it in terms of my decision-making."
Neil is spending pre-season in Spain with his new teammates, having been picked to lead out the team in a 1-1 closed-door draw against Kaizer Chiefs. While it remains uncertain if he will take the captain's armband permanently from James Tavernier—with Lawrence Shankland also a contender—Neil is confident the squad now boasts strong leaders. "You can see in the recruitment this summer that [adding leaders] has been a big priority," he noted. "The signings we've made so far have all had leadership roles at the clubs they've been at. I think that's just a natural thing that I bring, and it's the same with the boys who've come in."
New-look Rangers squad
Manager Derek McInnes has moved quickly to strengthen the squad, bringing in goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, defender Ben Godfrey, midfielders Neil and Cammy Devlin, and striker Lawrence Shankland. Neil is eager to contribute goals as well as leadership. "I definitely think it's something I can bring," he said. "I haven't shown that side of my ability over the last few years, but I think that's been down to systems. Sunderland were a very young team, so even though I was still young I had to take more of an old-head approach in midfield, almost letting the kids go and express themselves! But I think that added another string to my bow and I learned how to play that disciplined role in midfield."
He added: "I still believe I can contribute at the top end of the pitch. We'll keep working on it every single day and try to bring it out on matchdays. In terms of the in-possession stuff, I want as many touches of the ball as I can get in a game. I want to go forward with the ball, I want to progress the team forward."
Communication and tactical awareness
Neil also highlighted his vocal presence on the pitch. "One of the things people probably don't know or don't hear is that I'm quite loud on the pitch in terms of communication and organising, and I like seeing the game from a tactical point of view. In terms of my actual football, it's about getting on the ball as much as I can and trying to dictate the tempo and progress the team forward."
