Forgotten Rangers man Andrius Velicka sets himself a double target

[johnnyk 158]

Forgotten Rangers man Andrius Velicka sets himself a double target as he strikes out for final glory

 

Andrius Velicka is very keen to make up for lost time.

 

The Lithuanian striker is determined to play his part in an engrossing title run-in and fancies helping Rangers to not just their first league title win in four years, but to the Home-coming Scottish Cup as well.

 

A place in the final will be assured if Rangers can see off the threat of St Mirren at Hampden tomorrow and, if they do so, tongues will start to wag about the possibility of a league and cup double.

 

St Mirren, of course, will feel that their shot at glory is equally near at hand.

 

Gus MacPherson's side have already seen off Celtic in the competition and view tomorrow's game as one of the biggest of their season. Staying in the top flight is their ultimate aim, but a Scottish Cup Final party wouldn't be too bad either.

 

Velicka, though, is determined to use the final weeks of the season to show Rangers just what he is capable of after being placed in cold storage for most of the season to date.

 

The striker returned to Walter Smith's side for the 1-0 win at Falkirk this month, but it was the first sighting of him since he had featured in a 2-0 win over Hearts way back in August.

 

It has been a difficult time for the striker, who has admitted the past eight months have been the most frustrating of his senior career.

 

"It was a natural reaction because I had played so much football without a break," he said ruefully. "It has been very difficult for me because I started in the team and then all of a sudden I was injured.

 

"All the games caught up with me physically, but now I feel that I can be like a fresh player for the manager. I have had a lot of time to recover my fitness and I feel I am hungry now.

 

"It would be nice to get the chance to show the Rangers fans what I can do in these last months of the season because I don't think they have seen the best of me yet.

 

"I believe that I can score goals, but I have to respect that there have been players doing that all season, so I will be patient. I do want to have a say in the title race because I think I can help Rangers to win the SPL and the Scottish Cup. It will be a hard game for us at Hampden tomorrow, but we are looking forward it."

 

He will be hoping to add to the two goals he has scored in recent wins over Motherwell and Hibs and, when the dust settles on tomorrow's contest, Velicka will turn his attention to the pivotal Old Firm game at Ibrox next month.

 

The striker has yet to sample the unique fare offered by a meeting between the Glasgow giants and he couldn't ask for a bigger game in which to make his mark this term.

 

Irrespective of what happens between now and then, the game at Ibrox is titanic in terms of its significance.

 

For all that both sides have squandered advantages and thrown away chances to exert further pressure on their rivals this term, it would be difficult to envisage either side winning the game at Ibrox and then not lifting the title.

 

Velicka had fallen so far out of the picture at Rangers that he was in danger of becoming the forgotten man but, should he make his mark in what is the biggest game of the season, redemption could be at hand.

 

"Of course I want to play in it," grinned the Lithuanian. "I haven't played in an Old Firm game before and I know what a big game it is.

 

"It is huge because of the league situation, but an Old Firm game by itself is known all over the world. I would love to play a part in it, but this is football and things do not always go the way you want them to.

 

"The manager has a big squad here and players like Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd have been doing it all season.

 

"All I can do is show what I can do in training and in games and hope that I am involved when the game takes place.

 

"But before then we have a game against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup and a league match against Hearts, so we have to think about them.

 

"It would be silly to be thinking about Celtic just now when there are other things for us to do."

 

Rangers have avoided a second trip to Tynecastle and will play Hearts at home in the first SPL game after the split.

 

Critics who have pointed to the third home game against the Edinburgh side might want to consider the manner in which Csaba Laszlo's side came back from a two-goal deficit to take a point on their last visit to Ibrox.

 

The games between either half of the Old Firm at Tynecastle are always fraught, although Velicka doesn't believe Rangers have an advantage by avoiding a trip to his former home ground.

 

"Hearts will believe they can win against us," he said. "I enjoy playing against them because they are my old side, but that doesn't mean I don't want to beat them.

 

"They have done very well under Csaba and he has them playing good football but, more importantly, they are a team that seem to have a lot of belief.

 

"I don't think it is easier playing them at Ibrox than at Tynecastle because they are a difficult side to beat.

 

"People look at Scottish football and think that Rangers should beat everybody they play, but it is not like that. You have to work very hard to win every game and every team can make life very hard for you.

 

"Hearts will remember what happened when they played us the last time and they will take a lot of belief from that. We will need to be at our best but all that matters now is getting points."

 

Publication date 24/04/09

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2504069.0.0.php

[CammyF 7,979]

Am I the only one impressed with the sound-bites from Velicka?

 

Cammy F