ian1964 10,590 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Rangers legend Nacho Novo urges compatriot Jon Toral to sign up at Ibrox Toral is top of Gers boss Mark Warburton's January shopping list and Novo says the Spaniard must make the move to the Light Blues. Nacho Novo fulfilled a childhood dream when he helped little Sporting Gijon sink Jose Mourinho’s Galacticos at the Bernabeu in Madrid. So the former Rangers striker understands completely why Jon Toral has chosen to stick around in the Spanish capital for Granada’s big trip today. But Novo believes the youngster might be making the biggest mistake of his career if he opts to extend this tourist trip around La Liga’s greatest temples for much longer – while the offer of a loan move to Ibrox remains on the table. And yesterday, in an exclusive interview with this paper, Toral insisted he won’t be rushed into committing himself to Rangers when he’s got a hot date with Cristiano Ronaldo on the cards. Novo too has experienced this giddy sense of excitement. But it didn’t come close to the true love he left behind in Glasgow. Novo said: “I know what it’s like to play for a small team in La Liga and I also understand every young Spanish kid wants to play Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. “That was a dream of mine and I achieved it late in my career when I went there with Sporting Gijon and we beat Mourinho’s side 1-0. It was an incredible achievement for us. “The thing I remember is how quiet the stadium was. It was full of people but it had the atmosphere of a morgue. “Yes, there is always a group of ultras who make some noise but it was nothing like playing for Rangers at a packed Ibrox, when the fans are right behind you, singing all over the ground. Nothing else ever matches that. “It’s something that I would advise any player to experience if they are given the chance, not just Toral. “But he is not even playing regularly for Granada so it should be a very easy decision for him to make. It could turn out to be the most enjoyable six months of his life. “Maybe he will want to stay for longer than the end of the season. Or maybe he’ll make such an impact that he’ll make the next step with Arsenal.“Either way, it has to be better than going round La Liga, sitting on the bench.” Toral is halfway through a season-long agreement with Granada but has made just five appearances since the start of the campaign for a team that may already be doomed to the drop. Warburton hopes to convince the midfielder his development would be far better served by spending six months in the Ibrox furnace. Yet Novo suspects he may prefer to hang around on the edges of that relegation scrap than take a leap of faith into one of European football’s unfashionable leagues. Novo said: “He’s a 21-year-old boy who has been with Barcelona and Arsenal so probably a lot of people in Spain will be saying to him, ‘Why are you even thinking about going to play in Scottish football?’ I understand that. “Maybe he will think it is better to stay in La Liga or even to return to a smaller club in England for the rest of the season but if I could talk to him I would tell him to jump at the chance of joining Rangers. “Toral only needs to look at the names of the players who have passed through Ibrox. Players like the de Boers, Arteta, van Bronckhorst, Gattuso, Amoruso, Numan, to Gascoigne and Laudrup. “If Rangers was good enough for them then it should be good enough for Toral.“Yes, Scottish football is maybe not the most fashionable league in the world but it is a great place for a young player like him to play games and learn his trade.” There’s also the lure of the Old Firm. Novo said: “He will also have a chance to play against Celtic in the best derby in the world. He won’t experience anything like that if he stays at a club like Granada. “Some of the biggest players in European football have played in that match and the Premiership is not as easy as everyone thinks. It will present him with the perfect challenge at this stage in his career.” Former Barca, Arsenal and Rangers player Mikel Arteta – now Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City – has already had a chat with Toral, urging the youngster to accept Warburton’s offer. And Novo is not remotely surprised by that.He added: “I know how much Mikel enjoyed his time as a young player in Glasgow.“And just look at where his career went from there. “Rangers look after their players. The fans look after them. And his team-mates will do exactly the same.” 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,590 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Saturday 7th January 2017 Real Madrid v Granada - La Liga - 12:00 - Sky Sports 2*/*Sky Sports 2 HD Well at least we can view him tomorrow, if he plays! Team to face Real Madrid: Ochoa, Lomban, Tabanou, Tito, Gabriel Silva, Ruben Vezo, Agbo, Sergi Samper, Boga, Andreas Pereira, Kravets. Subs: Oier, Silva, Javi Marquez, Ponce, Jon Toral, Atzili, Bueno. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,451 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Real won 5-0 without breaking sweat, it seemed. Toral did not play for Granada, perhaps because of the impending return to England. They obviously knew what the scoreline would be and didn't want to risk to ruin their rleations with the English ahead of possible upcoming deals. BTW, Granada started with 9 loanees ... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhunter 0 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Real won 5-0 without breaking sweat, it seemed. Toral did not play for Granada, perhaps because of the impending return to England. They obviously knew what the scoreline would be and didn't want to risk to ruin their rleations with the English ahead of possible upcoming deals. BTW, Granada started with 9 loanees ... seriously? that is ridiculous do the spanish not have any restriction whatsoever on that? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,451 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Ochoa - loaned from Malaga Lomban Tabanou - loaned from Swansea Tito Gabriel Silva - loaned from Udinese Ruben Vezo - loaned from Valencia Agbo - loaned from Watford Sergi Samper - loaned from Barca Boga - loaned from Chelsea Andreas Pereira - loaned from Manchester United Kravets - loaned from Dynamo Kiew ... TM is useful, as I keep telling you http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-granada/startseite/verein/16795 Edited January 7, 2017 by der Berliner 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,396 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Ochoa - loaned from MalagaLomban Tabanou - loaned from Swansea Tito Gabriel Silva - loaned from Udinese Ruben Vezo - loaned from Valencia Agbo - loaned from Watford Sergi Samper - loaned from Barca Boga - loaned from Chelsea Andreas Pereira - loaned from Manchester United Kravets - loaned from Dynamo Kiew ... TM is useful, as I keep telling you http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-granada/startseite/verein/16795 Didn't do them much good did it I.e. all these loanees ? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,590 Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Scotland need to tell brown to get to fuck 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleam 5,664 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Scotland need to tell brown to get to fuck Actually, I think that it is Strachan who needs to tell the clown to gtf, but your sentiments are correct, and pithily expressed. Of course, whether the bauchle will do so is anybody's guess. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,590 Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Rangers target Jon Toral returns to Arsenal The midfielder had been on loan at La Liga side Granada but has now returned to parent club Arsenal. Gers boss Mark Warburton worked with the Spaniard at Brentford and Toral also enjoyed a successful loan spell with Birmingham City last season. The Ibrox side are keen for the 21-year-old to join new boy Emerson Hyndman in Glasgow for the second half of the season. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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