ANTONIO COLAK has vowed to use his World Cup heartache as inspiration to hit the goal trail for Rangers and win himself an international recall with Croatia.
The striker had high hopes of securing a place in the squad for the showpiece finals in Qatar last year after a stunning first half of the campaign at Ibrox.
Colak netted 14 times before the World Cup break and bagged three hugely significant goals as Rangers overcame Union St Gilloise and PSV Eindhoven to reach the Champions League.
But he was overlooked by boss Zlatko Dalic as he missed out on a place amongst the six forwards that were selected to lead the attack for the beaten finalists in Russia four years previously.
Croatia would enjoy another memorable run in Qatar as they lost to eventual winners Argentina at the last four stage before overcoming Morocco to secure a medal for the second successive tournament.
Colak had to watch on as Ibrox team-mate Borna Barisic and his Croatian compatriots made history and he is determined to play his part for Dalic's side during the next round of international events.
“It was very, very frustrating to miss out," Colak said. “Some players were there who weren’t nearly close to the numbers I had.
“They didn’t even play Champions League or anything like that. So it was really frustrating as I saw myself there and it would have been nice to have a medal at home now like Borna!
“It’s just part of the game, sometimes you’re disappointed and you have to work again and stand up to it. It’s about going for what’s ahead of you.
"I still believe I can do it. In [March] there are some games for the national team.
“I had a short period when I was injured but we will soon have the qualification games, the Nations League and then the European Championships in Germany in two years.
"Of course, I look forward to all of that and if I could be a part if it, it would be amazing."
Colak missed the final Premiership fixture before the World Cup through injury as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's reign as boss came to an end in the aftermath of the draw with St Mirren.
His first campaign at Ibrox has been a positive one overall, though, and the 29-year-old will be a key player for Michael Beale's side after returning to action in recent weeks.
Colak has three caps for his country - earned in the World Cup qualifiers with Slovakia and Slovenia and a friendly draw with Turkey - to his credit so far after scoring seven times at youth level.
It was current boss Dalic that handed him his debut three years ago and the former Malmo and PAOK forward won't let the nature of his Qatar snub get to him as he seeks to prove his worth for club and country once again.
“He didn’t phone me," Colak said. “I found out on the live stream on the TV when they made the public announcement. I don’t want to comment more on that.
“Look, I am happy for Croatia for what they achieved for such a small country. To get another medal is unbelievable success and great work. I hope I can be a part of that in the future.
“I watched Borna and the other players do so well and they are all friends of mine, so I was happy for them.
"If they win I am happy and if they lose I am disappointed. To be part of that in the future depends in my performances for Rangers.
“I listened to Borna and the stories to get some inside information of what it was like. It’s always fun to hear what it was like. I also got to hold his medal when he came back - and it’s quite heavy!”
