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02nd Jul 2017

Rangers players are no longer allowed to wear green boots

Change is afoot

Darragh Murphy

It would take a particularly ridiculous supporter to see a Rangers player wearing green boots and think: ‘Must be a Celtic fan deep down.’

Well there will be no danger of that happening next season because Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has bizarrely made the decision to ban green boots from his squad.

Gers have been busy in the transfer market, as they look to improve on their third-place finish last season and bridge the gap with arch-rivals Celtic, who finished the Scottish Premiership 39 points ahead of Caixinha’s side.

But Caixinha is looking at more than recruitment to boost his squad, he’s also working on the mentality of his players.

The Daily Record reports that the Portuguese will not permit green colours on the footwear of his squad because of its association to the Hoops.

“From today, no one will wear boots of that colour because it is the colour of Celtic,” Caixinha said.

“The slogan ‘We are the People’ will be stamped on the walls for both our players and opponents to feel the strength of Rangers.”

Caixinha is clearly not shying away from the tension that exists between the Old Firm rivals and, despite the pressure that comes on a manager when one Glasgow side falls so short of the other, the 46-year-old insists he is happy at Ibrox.

“The Rangers fans are full of hope, the Celtic fans are upbeat and excited and that’s normal because they have won six titles in a row,” he continued.

“Only once have I been bothered. In the centre of the city, a drunk Celtic fan upset me, but it was nothing.

“The centre of Glasgow is beautiful like the rest of the city.”