'Always giving me goosebumps' - Rangers star blown away by fans and reveals 'big confidence' for Euro success

Antonio Colak sat down around 50 minutes after Rangers’ 2-0 win over Kilmarnock with the happiest of smiles.

Someone could have walked into the Ibrox media room and notified the 28-year-old that his car had just been towed and he’s have sat unmoved, still smiling away. It easy to imagine the Croatian international walking into Auchenhowie on Monday, still beaming from ear to ear.

Around 90 minutes before, he had just scored his first goal for the club in front of a grateful Copland Road Stand.

The noise which greeted it was one of relief but also delight. Their new front man was off the mark having been harshly flagged offside in the win over Livingston having flicked a header into the bottom corner.

This time he played a one-two with Tom Lawrence before finding the bottom corner.

That feeling of a goal in front of a packed crowd is one precious few will and have experienced.

“I'm really happy, it was an amazing feeling to score here at Ibrox, my first competitive goal,” he said. “It's not always easy but it is the most important thing for a striker to start as early as possible in the season to score. This gives me a lot of confidence and extra push for the upcoming games.

"It's always giving me goosebumps to score here at Ibrox especially in front of our fans.

Antonio Colak was given "goosebumps" after scoring in the Rangers win over Kilmarnock. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

"I just want to have this feeling as often as possible. It gives me a lot of energy, a lot of confidence. I try to take advantage of every situation, every chance I can get. I just want to be as successful as possible.”

Big confidence and optimism

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was delighted with both his strikers hitting the net ahead of a massive Champions League qualifier against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Rangers need to turn around a two-goal deficit. If team-mates and fans take Colak’s enthusiasm and confidence into the game, they will have every chance of producing a comeback to set up a play-off with either PSV Eindhoven or Monaco.

Colak fires past Sam Walker. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

"We didn't have a good game on Tuesday but we know what we can do in front of our fans,” he said. “We can turn this game around and it's all on us. We have this confidence but we just have to be 100 per cent ready and focused. I think with our crowd we can turn this result into a positive one.

“I will give my best and I think it is not about myself, it is about everybody in the team and we will try to give everything.

"I have a big confidence and optimism.”

Colak’s fellow Croatian Borna Barisic was perfectly placed to celebrate with the goal and was credited with being “important” in helping him settle and adapt to the club and Scotland, which the striker believes he has.

And his understanding and on-field relationships are also growing stronger.

"I always have to learn, see the movements, see the passes from every player,” he said.

"You are learning day-by-day in training and games. I hope in the upcoming games it will be better and better. I always try to do the best to score and give everything for the team.”