Young Rangers defender sends message of intent after old firm debut

Ridvan Yilmaz, the promising 21-year-old Rangers left-back, has expressed his desire to remain at Ibrox for the long haul after helping the Gers clinch a 3-0 victory over bitter rivals Celtic in his first taste of the frenzied Old Firm derby.

The Turkish youngster has been the subject of reported interest from his homeland club Besiktas, according to journalist Serdar Saridag.

However, Yilmaz took to Twitter to hint at his future in Glasgow in no uncertain terms.

“My first Old Firm victory, but not the last one,” he wrote.

“Great team performance and spirit at the perfect Ibrox.”

My first Old Firm victory, but not the last one👍🏼 great team performance and spirit at the perfect IBROX💙🧿#ready

İlk Old Firm zaferim, ama sonuncusu değil👍🏼 mükemmel IBROX'ta harika takım performansı ve ruhu💙 pic.twitter.com/kdDuVGEPyT
— Rıdvan Yılmaz (@ridvan_yilmaz2) May 13, 2023

For the fledgling full-back, Sunday’s baptism of fire at a raucous Ibrox was an invaluable learning experience, even if it wasn’t his most polished performance.

With veteran left-back Borna Barisic’s powers on the wane, Ridvan Yilmaz will relish the opportunity to stake a claim for the position on a more permanent basis.

Ridvan Yilmaz sends strong message

The pacy Yilmaz has shown flashes of promise since arriving from Besiktas last summer under former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

If he can improve on his delivery and positional sense, he may well find himself featuring more prominently in Michael Beale’s plans next campaign.

While the new Rangers manager is likely to prioritise recruiting a right-back as competition for skipper James Tavernier, Yilmaz’s development should not be neglected.

He could still play an important role, especially in Europe, as the Light Blues plot a return to the Champions League.