Rare highlight: Rangers striker Danilo celebrates scoring the opening goal during a Europa League match against Sparta Praha at Ibrox.
Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP
Source: AFP
Rangers forward Danilo said Monday his baby daughter had been the “light in the darkness” after injury cut short his first campaign with the Glasgow giants.
The Brazilian could now make his competitive comeback in Rangers’ opening match of the new Scottish Premiership season away to Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday after being sidelined with a knee problem in December.
Danilo also suffered a fractured cheekbone sustained while scoring against St Johnstone and only managed 10 starts in total following his arrival from Dutch side Feyenoord.
“It’s been a really tough period for me, seven months, it’s been rough,” Danilo told Sky Sports.
“My knee is 100 percent ready to go and I am ready to crack on. My fitness is going to be the main thing for me to push now, to get my fitness back.
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“It’s not what you want when you go to a different country, especially how the fans welcomed me. I wanted to play a full season. It’s part of a footballer’s life, you never know what can happen during a game.
“I didn’t have good luck last season but hopefully this year I can stay on the field and I just want to help my teammates.”
But the 25-year-old added: “I had a blessing, me and my wife we got a beautiful baby. By the time of my knee injury, our baby was born. So that was a good thing, it could occupy my mind. She was my light in the darkness.
“She is just everything for me and I thank my wife for everything she has done. She had to help me a lot and the medical staff did a great job keeping me positive.”
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Danilo, however, did enough on the field to impress the Rangers’ faithful and he now wants to repay their backing.
“I want to do everything, I want to give everything back for their support,” he said.
“Right now I am getting my confidence back, I need to get my self-confidence with the ball. I have to improve small things again because seven months is not seven days.”
Rangers finished second in the Scottish Premiership last season, eight points behind champions and arch-rivals Celtic.