James Penrice shares ‘ridiculous’ thing he’s noticed behind the scenes at Rangers
Every dressing room has its own secrets, the little details that fans never get to see from the stands. When James Penrice pulled back the curtain on life at Auchenhowie, though, the thing that stood out to him was not a quirky ritual or a training ground prank. It was the sheer quality of the people around him.
Speaking to Record Sport, the left-back was asked about the doubts that follow Rangers around, the persistent suggestion that this squad lacks the mentality to win a title. His answer started somewhere unexpected. “The talent in here is ridiculous,” he said, adding that there are players in every position capable of making a Rangers jersey their own. Coming from a man who has played in Scotland’s top flight for years and spent time in Greece with AEK Athens, that is quite an endorsement of what he sees day to day. (britbrief)
It carries extra weight because of who is saying it. Penrice is a boyhood Rangers supporter who passed briefly through the club’s youth system before it ended without a deal. He has described returning as a dream moment in his career. After joining on a season-long loan from AEK with an option to buy, he could easily have been starry-eyed. Instead he sounds like a professional who has weighed up his team-mates and come away impressed. (rangers) (rangers)
He was also keen to say that talent alone does not win championships. The 27-year-old acknowledged the mentality question will linger until silverware is actually secured, and that the squad has to prove itself in the difficult games. He believes the evidence is already building. Rangers beat Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup and won 1-0 at Parkhead in the league last month, results that are hard to square with the idea of a fragile group. (britbrief) (britbrief)
Penrice also pointed to the environment itself. He suggested the people and the facilities at the club make it almost impossible not to improve as a player. He sees it as the responsibility of the more experienced players to push the younger ones, reminding them that Rangers might not be their final destination but that they can have a proper go at making it theirs.
That is a healthy attitude for a dressing room that has had a turbulent start to the season. Derek McInnes’s early weeks in charge were rocky, with a Europa League qualifying exit and a spate of injuries. Since then the mood has shifted. Penrice himself has played a part, having scored on his debut against St Mirren and been vocal in organising his team-mates, and supporters on forums have been quick to praise his hunger and commitment. (roundtable) (newsletter)Of course, talk is cheap in football, and the table is the only thing that really counts. A player calling his team-mates ridiculously talented does not guarantee a trophy. But it does suggest a squad with real belief behind closed doors, and a group that is tired of hearing about its supposed weaknesses. If Penrice is right about what is happening at Auchenhowie, the doubters may soon have less to talk about.
