Jon Daly relishes Rangers climb back to top flight

JON Daly’s near seven-year spell with Dundee United came to an end yesterday amid the cheers of fans of the Tannadice club and the jeers of supporters of Celtic ahead of the player’s imminent move to Rangers.

Dundee United's Jon Daly is to move to Rangers. Picture: SNS

The 30-year-old Daly has already undergone a medical with the Ibrox club. With the results due tomorrow, he is preparing to sign a two-year contract, with another 12-month option.

“I’ve done a medical and I’m just waiting to hear back,” said Daly after playing his last game for United as a stand-in centre back in the 4-0 loss to the champions. “If that’s OK, then it should be done.

“I think Rangers are quite pleased with the shape of me. They wanted to scan my right knee because of the problems I have had with that. I think they just wanted to scan that for their own records. We will see how that comes back.”

On the lure of playing for Rangers, Daly said he was looking forward to playing in front of crowds of 45,000 every fortnight, as he helps the Ibrox side back to the Scottish Premier League. “Once I spoke to Ally McCoist, I knew it would be Rangers,” he said. “I am 30 and there is no-one better to learn from than himself.

“The ambition is go and play in front of 45,000 to 50,000 every week,” he added. “You don’t get that anywhere else in Scotland unless you play for Celtic. Dundee United are a big club, but the fan base at Rangers is massive.

“It is also a challenge to try and get such a big club where they should be – back in the top division. If I see out my contract we should be back in the SPL. That is my aim and what the club is trying to do.”

As for yesterday’s abuse, he said he had “expected it” and added: “The story has come out about me maybe going to Rangers and the Celtic fans are obviously going to get on my back. It’s just part and parcel of the game. It goes in one ear and out the other, so I can just concentrate on the game in hand.”

Daly described yesterday’s departure from Tannadice as “emotional” and he paid tribute to former managers Craig Levein and Peter Houston. “I was playing at Hartlepool and they took a gamble on me,” he said. “I’d never have imagined when I joined that I would go on to achieve what I did.”