Jon Daly: All That Mattered At Rangers Was Helping Them To Win
Every player signed by Rangers brings its own scrutiny. But when that player is a Catholic Irishman, the pressure intensifies.
When Jon Daly signed for Rangers, he would have known Mo Johnston faced similar scrutiny when the Scot moved to Ibrox in 1989 after scoring 52 goals in 99 league games for Celtic.
Daly dismissed all the outside noise surrounding his switch to Rangers in May 2013, making him the first Catholic Irishman to wear the blue jersey.
As far as the former Dundee United striker was concerned, all that mattered was scoring the goals to bring success to Ibrox.
"I loved it at Rangers," Daly told Gambling.com in an exclusive interview.
"My first game when I came to Scotland was actually at Ibrox against Rangers, for Dundee United. We got walloped 5-0, but it was a really enjoyable experience.
"It was the first time I'd probably played a league game in front of that many people and it was a great occasion that night.
"I think the move itself came from when I spoke to Ally McCoist the year we won the Scottish Cup in 2010.
"We actually knocked Rangers out and the way he conducted himself after that defeat, I had a lot of respect for him.
"When he came and asked me to come and sign for the club, I didn't even have to think twice. It was a great opportunity to go and play for such a big club.
"From my point of view I didn’t look at it as me being Irish, I just looked at it as a football player and having the chance to go and play for a huge football club in front of a fantastic crowd.
"In financial terms it was a better wage, so I'm not going to shy away from and dodge that. It made sense for me at that stage of my career to go and play for Rangers.
"After I signed and when I'd made the decision, I went away on holiday. When I came back it started to feel real and you started to see the little bit of noise about it.
"The press probably hyped it up more than it was in my head. Anyone I spoke to about it and people from back home were delighted for me to get a move like that.
"As a kid growing up you want to go and play for a club that has a big stadium in front of as many people as possible and in Scotland you don't get much bigger.
"I haven’t actually thought about it, even now. I am delighted that I have played for them. It was a fantastic honour for me to play for a club of that size and stature. I really enjoyed it."
Daly scored 29 times in 72 appearances for the Scottish giants during their four-season absence from the top flight after entering administration in February 2012.
It was a difficult time for everyone at Rangers, who returned to the top flight for the 2016/17 season.
They finished third that season and they return from the third international break of this season third behind joint-leaders Celtic and Aberdeen.
Football betting sites have Rangers as second favourites behind Celtic to win this season's title, despite not being at their best.
Daly understands the frustrations felt by the Ibrox faithful with the results this season under manager Philippe Clement.
"I think when you're playing for a club like Rangers, you're expected to not only win, but to win well," Daly said.
"There's a certain expectation there. I remember when I was there in the lower leagues, we were I think 4-0 up in one of the games and we got booed off because we didn't play a certain way.
"So there is an expectation there and as a player, coach or manager you have to embrace that. You have to take it on your shoulders and carry it forward.
"Some of their performances are disappointing, but there are some good players there that when they’re fully settled.
"I'm sure the manager will turn things around and hopefully start to close the gap. The club has obviously backed him.
"He signed a new deal there recently. As a manager it takes time, and I think he's certainly shown that he has a certain calibre and level of quality.
"I've no doubts that he'll get the team back playing the way everybody wants to see them playing, and close the gap on the teams that are above them."
After beating Hearts 1-0 at Ibrox prior to the international break, Rangers return to action with another home game against Dundee United on Saturday.
