This Ibrox icon signed for the Light Blues in the summer of 2000 and spent six years with the club.
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Former Rangers great Peter Lovenkrands has disclosed that he watched the cult comedy show Still Game and used that to learn Scottish lingo.
The Dane, who moved from AB to Ibrox in 2000, played for the Light Blues for six years. His most memorable game was a thrilling last-gasp victory over Celtic in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden. Lovenkrands, who was capped 22 times for his country and played for Newcastle United as well, is currently a youth coach at Aalborg. Speaking of his time in Scotland, he remarked, “I spoke very good English but it took me easily four years to understand our kitman Jimmy Bell.”
To be fair, I believe he did it on purpose! On the other hand, I watched the TV series Still Game and took great delight in mastering Scottish slang. I enjoyed saying some of those lines to them when I arrived at training, which made them laugh, but that’s how I acquired a Scottish accent! Moreover, my spouse is Scottish.
Growing up, I was genuinely a fan of the Rangers. My parents used to take a plane to watch Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. My idol was Laudrup, so I constantly followed them. “I want you to play for Rangers,” was my father’s constant refrain.
“I would tell him that my goal was to play in La Liga, and I did, for six years.” But we were Rangers fans as a family. My brother had signed for St Johnstone two weeks prior to my signing, so I spent the first three years of my six amazing years at Rangers with him there, which really helped me settle in. That was also a major reason for my visit there.
“My time with the Rangers has so many memorable moments.” One of them was getting to play Galatasaray in my first Champions League match. Even now, when I reflect back on it, the Champions League theme song still gives me chills.
“It was the dream come true when I was a little guy growing up. One of my greatest player moments was also the goal I scored against Stuttgart in the Champions League. It was exciting when I scored the winning goal at the Ibrox. Another is the cup final matchup with Celtic. It ended 3-2; I scored the game’s winning goal in the 92nd minute. It is still the main topic of conversation among all of us. Fans talk to me about that one goal since it was against Celtic.
The winger, who also played for Schalke in Germany, continued in an exclusive chat with Ladbrokes Fanzone: “That goal made him a target for Hoops fans.” Celtic supporters did not like me, and I can see why. It’s the largest rivalry you will ever encounter, and you will never truly comprehend it unless you go through it yourself. The animosity between supporters of Schalke and Dortmund may seem intense, but it is nothing compared to that between Celtic and Rangers.
“I scored seven goals in my second season there, but five of those came against Celtic. Thus, everything changed drastically for me following that year. I used to have no trouble walking down the streets, but now everyone was after me for pictures and autographs. The chanting and other behavior from Celtic fans on the street back then was a drawback, but it was inevitable. I was fortunate to have supportive friends who gave me advice on where to go, what not to do, and other things.
“To be fair, people today won’t understand what it was like; back then it was crazy because the away fans were allowed over 8,000, and the noise at those games was just incredible. It is the most amazing derby to be a part of.” It’s not the same now because there are no away supporters. Since the players and fans aren’t able to experience the real Old Firm, I feel bad for them. It was a crazy environment. The way it is today has somewhat damaged it.
“There were times when we would wake up from those matches feeling exhausted because the fans would set off the hotel’s fire alarms.” Barry Ferguson, the captain, asked me, “What the hell is wrong with you?” while I was yawning in the changing room before the cup final in which I scored. I know you’re anxious, but that’s what I did—why are you yawning? I went out and scored after he declared it was fair. To show my nervousness, I would simply yawn! But as soon as I got on the field, I was in love. I wanted the whistle to go because I detested the build-up and the warm-up. The sound encouraged me.
At Celtic, Alan Thompson and perhaps Chris Sutton were my two main competitors. For the most part Alan Thompson. We simply did not get along on the field for whatever reason, and I’m not sure how it started. It was absurd. We took small jabs at one another whenever we could. Despite the fact that he was part of the study team in Newcastle when I arrived, we spoke about it and he later traveled to Birmingham. We kind of chuckled about it when I got to know him for a few years after that. Right now, I have nothing against him.
“I had a strong rival in Henrik Larsson, and we also had a cultural difference—I’m Danish, he’s Swedish. Aside from being a fantastic player, he was also the sweetest guy. He wasn’t someone I liked working with at Rangers.
Lovenkrands, 44, evaluated the current team’s chances of winning the championship as well as Thursday’s crucial Europa League first-leg matchup against Benfica. Lovenkrands continues to keep an eye on his former club. “Oh my god,” he exclaimed, “for the first time this weekend after we lost to Motherwell and Celtic jumped us again.” But then, in an incredible defeat to Hearts, Celtic crashed down. But that defeat was a chance lost to win by five points.
“The manager has them in a solid position; hopefully, that was an isolated incident and we can resume our winning ways. Right now, we are leading the table by two points, so we are in a strong position. The fact that the Celtic are now pursuing us is a pleasant feeling. It will not be easy, but maybe they can persevere.After taking over, Philippe Clement performed an outstanding job. The players have come up and advanced significantly under his direction, and he is producing results. There are some areas that they will undoubtedly need to fortify in the summer.
“We’ll require a more formidable team. We need a player up front who can ensure 20 goals a season since midfield is a crucial position. I’m thrilled that Jack Butland was signed; he’s been a great addition. I think getting him is a terrific scoop, and I don’t want him to go.
“Rangers vs. Benfica will be extremely difficult.” It’s not an easy place to travel, but Benfica is always a good club that plays fantastic football. Having saying that, the Ibrox is also durable, particularly given its volume. After we win and hopefully don’t lose, I believe we can finish the transaction at home. There are several formidable teams in the Europa League, so you have to take each match as it comes.
“We’ve overcome the odds and advanced to the European final before, so everything is possible with a little bit of good fortune. The hardest match will be this one against Benfica, and if they win, it will be a fantastic chance.
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