Russell Martin's unseen Rangers dressing room message to players amid mounting pressure

Jayden Meghoma embraces the pressure of playing for Rangers after a challenging debut against Club Brugge, suggesting punters consider his potential impact on future matches as he grows into his role.

Four minutes of action with the big fish in the Premier League is barely any preparation for being plunged into a £40m Champions League play-off pressure pot. And half a season treading water near the bottom of the English Championship would do little to ready a teenager for the depths of despair that washed over Ibrox from as early as the third minute on Tuesday night.

As Club Brugge sailed into a 3-0 lead against Rangers and noisy excitement quickly turned to angry toxicity flooding round the stadium Jayden Meghoma could have been forgiven for sending out an SOS. The 19-year-old had only been in the building 48 hours and already was getting the harshest lesson in expectation levels among Rangers fans sick of seeing their side sink at the first sign of choppy waters.

But Meghoma reckons anyone suggesting he was thrown in at the deep end is WRONG. The Brentford loanee - who was making only the 23rd senior appearance of his fledgling career - insists the pressure, expectation and even the condemnation that rained down from the stands towards Russell Martin and his players was exactly what he was expecting. More than that, it’s why he made the decision to jump at the chance of spending this season in the Glasgow goldfish bowl rather than cutting about the fringes at Brentford.

Martin has urged his players to embrace the pressure. Enjoy it. And Meghoma, who produced a steady debut display among the madness capped off by a brilliant assist for Danilo’s goal, certainly appears to be on board with that.

Asked about his whirlwind 48 hours, the former Southampton kid said: “The transition was very quick, it happened within days and I was ready to play because of my pre-season. That was the most important part. “I knew I was playing from the start. A lot of people said I was thrown in at the deep end - but it wasn't that.

“I was always excited to come here and play football and that's what it was. I felt excited more than nervous about the game. “I haven't heard a crowd that loud but it was amazing. It was a fantastic experience. I think as a player, you have to live and breathe different crowds and different experiences.

“Nothing's going to be the same. It's never perfect. So, as a player, you need to understand that and take to all different learnings. “It's a mindset. At 3-0 down, the only thing you can do is get back into the game. For us, it's about fighting and continuing to keep pushing.

“As a footballer, you have to be like that. You always have to think positively and always trying to get back into the game and try and win the game. “Everything that's going through my mind at that time is how can we score goals and how can we not concede anymore? “Of course the goal gives us a chance. It's exciting for us because now we've learnt from our mistakes and we know what we need to do in the second leg.”

Meghoma was handed his senior debut by Martin as a 17-year-old in an EFL Cup defeat to Gillingham two years ago and went on to make four top team appearances, all in cup competitions, for Saints before moving to Brentford last summer for a fee that could rise to £10m. The left back’s only Premier League appearance came as an 86th minute sub for the Bees in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea before he was shipped out on loan to Preston for the second half of last season.

But even so early in his career the England U19 international insists he’s benefited from priceless advice from being around players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard on a daily basis. Now he hopes to put it into practice to nail down the left back slot at Ibrox.

He said: “It's amazing. Obviously, you take little things from all these different types of players and you get little insights from them which really helps with your development as well. “Every day I work hard to be that starting left back. And, like I said before, I don't think I was thrown in the deep end here. I'm just excited to play football and really kick on at Rangers Football Club.

“I’d say both my defensive and attacking qualities are my strengths. I like getting into 1v1 duels a lot. I'd say attacking-wise, I like to get into the box, score goals, crosses and get assists and help my team in that perspective. “You have to be vocal, especially coming to a team like this. You have to be confident from the start. Like I said before, I knew what I was coming to when I was coming to Rangers. It's a big club, fantastic club and as a whole team, we know what we need to do to get better.”

Another former team mate with whom Meghoma has now been reacquainted in Govan is Mikey Moore. The 19-year-old duo came through the ranks at Tottenham before the full-back moved to Southampton in 2022. Their understanding on the left flank could be an asset for Rangers.

And Meghoma, who also linked well with Djeidi Gassama on his debut, said: “I know Mikey from a young age at Spurs. We played together. He's a fantastic player and I know how he plays, which really helps. “Gas is very good. We communicate every day on what he likes to do and what I like to do. I think he's a fantastic player and I can already see the qualities that he has.

“We know that every game is different and poses different threats and it's not easy. We know what we need to do. We just need to execute it well.” A monster week for Rangers begins this afternoon away to St Mirren before moving onto the do-or-die second leg against Brugge in Belgium on Tuesday and finishing with the first Old Firm of the season in seven day’s time. This will be the acid test of Martin and his players’ minerals. But Meghoma said: “For us, it's step by step. We always focus on the next game. Club Brugge is the second game, so we have St Mirren next and that's what our full focus is on at the moment.”

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