AFTER missing out on promotion in the final seconds of the campaign and then being denied a dream date at Wembley, Josh Windass just wanted to get away from it all.
His end-of-season blues went from bad to worse, though, after he was joined in a Portuguese pub by two Hibernian fans during the Scottish Cup final.
The 22-year-old headed for the continent in the aftermath of the play-off defeat to AFC Wimbledon that denied Accrington Stanley a second shot at promotion to the third tier of English football.
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He tuned in to watch the action unfold from Hampden and cast an eye over his new team-mates as Rangers set their sights on a unique treble and a Europa League berth. It was only another disappointment for Windass, however, as Mark Warburton’s side missed out on the silverware and ended their campaign on a low note.
“On the last day of the season, we were looking to go up automatically but then we drew and Bristol Rovers pipped us in the last minute,” he said. “That was really hard to take. Then we had the play-off defeat when we were 2-1 up so that wasn’t great either.
“I was on holiday when the Scottish Cup final was on and I was watching it in a bar. I went the day after we lost to Wimbledon just to get away and have a break. There was two Hibs fans sitting right next to me. I don’t think they recognised me. They were crying at the end, and I was nearly crying myself! I was disappointed for the squad.
“It was a shame for the team but we can all look forward to next season now. Having got so far, it was disappointing for us not to get into Europe but when you look at the bigger picture it was a successful season for the team getting back into the Premiership. That was the main aim at the start of the season and they won the Petrofac Cup as well. On a whole, it was a successful season and to beat Celtic was huge for the club as well.”
It may not have been the end to the campaign that Rangers were hoping for, or that Windass had in mind, but it was still an encouraging season overall for both parties.
The 22-year-old will move north of the border next week as he and Accrington team-mate Matt Crooks look to make their mark at Ibrox and become key parts of Warburton’s Ibrox blueprint.
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Windass was unable to inspire Stanley to promotion glory, but the lure of what lies has given him plenty to look forward to for next term.
“At the time, I was obviously delighted to sign for Rangers, but I still had a job to do for Accrington and big games to play for them,” he said. “It was a bit weird because it didn’t really feel like I had signed for Rangers. I haven’t really had the buzz until now and now I am looking forward to coming up and playing for the club.
“Because it has been done for a while, it has been a long wait. But it has come round now and I am looking forward to getting started and training with the squad. I am moving up the end of next week and when I get there I think that is when I will fully realise I am a Rangers player.”
Months after the ink dried on his contract, Windass will finally pull on a Rangers jersey when he reports for pre-season training a week on Saturday at Murray Park. It will be the start of a new chapter of the midfielder’s career and a step into the unknown as he prepares to sample life in Glasgow for the first time.
The Englishman has gained a new legion of fans in recent months, and now he is determined to make an impact north of the border and prove his worth in Light Blue.
“Obviously when you first sign it is a big deal, I got a lot of followers and messages on Twitter and everyone was giving me a lot of support,” Windass said. “I just take it all with a pinch of salt to be honest. If I have a bad game, the same people will be hammering you!
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“You have to take it all in your stride and just look to play your best football. It is a difficult game and people can love you one day and hate you the next. You have just got to keep your head down and work hard.
“It sounds bad, but I wasn’t really thinking about Rangers when I was playing for Accrington. I wasn’t thinking about what people were saying or thinking, I was just focusing on playing my football and the big games.
“I think if you get caught up in it all then you can put pressure on yourself. I just go out and play football like I am playing on the street with my friends and try and enjoy it. If you have a bad game, you have a bad game. That is just life. I try to play every game as well as I can, try and score goals and create chances and do my bit for the team and that is what I want to do for Rangers.”
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