Rangers winger Daniel Candeias has been interviewed by Portuguese newspaper Record following the 2-0 win over St Mirren last weekend.
The 30-year-old, who scored the opening goal and ended up being sent off at the end of the match, was an important figure in the game for Steven Gerrard’s side, and that’s what he’s talked about in the chat.
“The game was difficult and the weather did not help, it was very windy”, Candeias told Record. “In the goal play I had to decide very fast. I wanted to put the ball as close to the goal as possible and it turned out to be a great goal. The most important thing is that I helped the team. This is always the goal, starting or coming in later.”
On the red card, Candeias claims that it was pretty unfair to him: “I saw the first yellow for celebrating with the fans. In the second goal I celebrated exuberantly because we were being provoked by the opponents. Their keeper came up to me and said to me, ‘You’re winning, you do not have to do that’. I agreed and said it was about the moment because I rarely get into trouble.”
“Until the central defender, Ferdinand, came up and began to squeeze my shoulder and then my neck. And I, doing nothing, saw the second yellow. There is no justification for the sending off and everyone was incredulous with the red card.”
Signed from Benfica in 2017 in a €800k deal, Candeias joined Rangers to work with Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha. The boss didn’t last so long in the job, but the player seems to like the club, and hopes he continues to help them to get ‘where they deserve’.
“Rangers went through a bad period, but we are on track to put the club in the place it deserves. Not only for the structure it has, but above all for the fantastic fans who support us.”
