WHEN you have chalked up appearances for 12 different football clubs before the age of 25, self-sufficiency is a must.
Rob Kiernan, the Rangers defender, has had to learn to look after himself over the years. Any pro who moves around a lot can't be like Phil Neville who once admitted he didn’t know how to make a cup of tea, let alone cook a Sunday roast, which is something of a speciality of Kiernan whose culinary skills are keeping his team-mates nice and trim.
The Englishman shares a house with James Tavernier and Wes Foderingham. The other two have landed on their feet. Tavernier revealed Kiernan does a good “salmon, broccoli, rice, sweet potato, a bit of humus and olives – to be fair it’s really nice.” Which is someway from the steak and chips John Greig used to wolf down a couple of hours before kick-off.
One thing Mark Warburton wants from his squad who have been assembled from all over is closeness because that as much as anything else is going to see Rangers at the second attempt get back to the Premiership.
And at least three of his lads have bonded off the pitch. As the saying goes in such modern times; “The team that eats humus together, wins together.”
“I'm the cook in the house, the head chef because the other lads don't have that in their locker,” said Kiernan with more than a bit of pride. “I try and look after them on the nutritional side of things. I try to keep it healthy and maybe mix it up now and again. I'd say I'm good at roast dinners. I'm decent at that on a Sunday.
"If you look around the dressing room most people will have left home at a young age. There won't be many who are still with their first club. Everyone has to leave at some point.
“It was nice to know James and Wes from Wigan. Everyone's in the same boat. It's a new country for us and we've been made to feel very welcome. We're kind of like a little family. I think that helps on the pitch. It's definitely helped with the togetherness, because this is still quite a new team with people from different places. The quicker we can gel, the better.”
Kiernan started at Watford and then had more loan deals than the Greek economy before Warburton signed him for Rangers in the summer. Nothing in his past came close to preparing him for what life is like when you play for the club.
“There is added pressure. It is different to what I have been used to at previous clubs but it is something we all thrive on as well,” he said. “We want to make everyone proud and get this club back to where it was.
“It is nice to have the guys who have been there before and been through the ups and downs to ask for a bit of advice. The surprise is the general response we've had, not just in football, but if we have been out in town or out and about. You do get people with nice comments. They are so friendly here and they go the extra mile. It has been really welcoming so I have not got a bad word to say about the place.”
Kiernan’s job is to form a solid partnership with Danny Wilson and while the defence is not perfect, the players themselves believe that after a period of time these two will form a partnership worthy of the name.
“No matter who gets picked, we want to provide a platform for the rest of the team to go and do their magic and score goals;” said Kiernan. “We are just trying to keep clean sheets.
“Me and Danny haven't been together very long, we are still getting to know each other. It is going to take time for us, or whoever plays, to really get an understanding. It is a new team but hopefully we can keep building a good partnership and carry on
“I knew Danny from when he got his move to Liverpool and I have been impressed with him since I came through the door. He has shown he is a quality player. Nothing has surprised me because I know how good he is.”
Meanwhile, Rangers confirmed the appointment of Craig Flannigan as the new Head of Performance and Preparation.
In a statement on the official website, the club said: "Preparation is vital to top class performance and that is where he will be invaluable to the club.
"Rangers have to become one of the most modern and progressive clubs in the entire game and Craig’s arrival is another step towards positioning the club in becoming the best again.
He is renowned in his field and formerly worked as Hibernian’s Head of Sports Science and Fitness."
Flannigan began his playing career before turning out for Clydebank, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle.
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