Soccer: De Boer hopes to prove his worth
Monday, 27 November 2000 16:56Rangers Ronald de Boer is hoping that yesterday's 5-1 thrashing of Old Firm rivals Celtic is the start of a better phase for his team and the player himself. The Dutchman has been struggling to justify his £4.5 million price tag since he joined the Glasgow club in August but is optimistic that yesterday's result will mark the beginning of better times. De Boer, along with Barry Ferguson, £12million debutant Tore Andre Flo, Lorenzo Amoruso and substitute Michael Mols all found the back of the net in yesterday's Old Firm encounter as Martin O'Neill's Celtic emerged shell-shocked from the defeat.
Now Rangers head back into Europe during the week for a UEFA Cup clash with Kaiserslautern and de Boer believes they can continue their winning streak. "We must keep the confidence but still in our heads it's only three points. Next time it's a totally different game. But it's a good boost. Every game we have played at home, including in the Champions League, we were the better side. Against Monaco and Galatasaray we were far the better side, so we must keep that confidence. You could see Celtic have very good quality but we were sharper and maybe more eager to win the game."
The former Ajax and Barcelona player was also pleased on a personal level with yesterday's performance. "It was good to score, especially as it was against Celtic, but I know I'm capable of doing nice things." He also explained that a knee injury has been hindering his progress at the Ibrox club. "I think I'm a player who can see things before they are happening, but sometimes you can't do it because you are not 100%. Nowadays, in top-level football, you have to be 100%, otherwise you are struggling. I had a good week of training and I think I am 90%. But you need that 10% and hopefully it is coming soon."
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
