Connor Goldson admits Rangers failed to build a title legacy after their 55 triumph.
And the centre-back confessed he’ll never be able to call himself an Ibrox legend when he’s only got two winner’s medals in his pocket. The 30-year-old defender has recorded more than 250 Gers appearances since moving to Scotland in 2018 and will forever be remembered as a key figure in the side that halted Celtic’s bid for 10-in-a-row before roaring all the way to Seville.
But Goldson has now voiced his frustrations over the fact that their 2021 title win did not prove to be the start of a glorious era of domination for the Ibrox outfit. It’s a similar complaint to the one raised by ex-chairman Dave King during his regular pops at former boardroom ally Douglas Park, who this week quit his position at the head of the Ibrox board.
Now as Goldson prepares for Saturday’s Old Firm clash at Parkhead - a game in which Ange Postecoglou’s side can all but wrap up a second successive Premiership crown - the former Brighton ace lamented: “I feel I should have won more.” Asked if he felt he’d underachieved at Ibrox, the defender said: “Half yeah and half no.
“Someone spoke to me the other day about the amount I've won. If you play X amount of games after eight years do I think I'll be classed as a legend or in the Hall of Fame and I said: ‘I haven’t won enough’. But at the same time it goes hand in hand with when I think back to the team I came here into, without being disrespectful.
“Where the club was and how far behind we were. We’ve come a hell of a long way. It’s only in Scotland that when we come second or lose a cup final we forget how far we’ve come. I don’t want to say this wrong because it will cause a bad headline but when we have won I think that we haven’t pressed on - and that’s everything as a club.
“As a club we could have done more and now we’re back to square one. I get the whole frustration of the fans that we haven’t kicked on after 55 and gone and won 56 and 57. After the Scottish Cup final last season we have to go and win it this year or our season’s maybe going to be no trophies.
“We got to a European final last season and lost and the season after we are not top of the league. There are so many ups and downs that have happened. It’s frustrating. I feel I should have won more.” Goldson may only have lifted two trophies since joining Gers but they are among the most significant in the club’s history.
As well as helping the club to it’s first league crown in a decade, last year’s Scottish Cup triumph also ended a 13-year Hampden hoodoo. But Goldson knows that’s not enough to satisfy supporters.
He said: “There are players who would have played here in the past who will have come here for two years and won five trophies but not really played a game. I’ve played 250 or 260 games and I’ve won two trophies. Is it enough? No!
“But if I had come at a different time it could have been completely different. I can’t beat myself up over where we are as a football club because I’m proud of the journey we’ve been on. It’s been amazing. But at the same time I want more medals.”
Gers must somehow overturn a nine-point deficit with just eight games remaining to salvage this year’s Premiership bid.
They face Celtic for the first time since their limp Viaplay Cup final display on Saturday and Goldson insists his side must do better,
He said: “I don’t think we showed our best face in the cup final and we lost the game of football. It was a massive game of football for the club and for our season and we lost it. But you have to move forward and we get the chance to play again. There’s a lot of football to be played but realistically we have three Old Firms in the next six weeks.
“First is the league game, then there’s the Scottish Cup semi final then the league again. We have three chances to win massive games of football for this club, this team and our fans to build our confidence and to go into next season on a high.”
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