MATT CROOKS celebrated in the Rangers End at Hampden as his first taste of the Old Firm derby became the most memorable game of his life. It all started amongst the Celtic fans, though, after he and Josh Windass found themselves behind enemy lines at the National Stadium.
The pair penned pre-contract deals with Mark Warburton’s side in January and made the trip north of the border to see their new team-mates in action and get a feel for life in Glasgow.
It was the day that was the highlight of the season for Rangers as they clinched derby success on penalties. It was also one that left a lasting impression on one of the men who will look to play his part in further triumphs this term.
“We’d been trying to get to a game for ages after we’d signed but it was difficult,” Crooks said. “It just so happened we were able to come for that one. Everyone warned us tickets were like gold dust and they’d be hard to get but we got four in the end, our girlfriends came as well.
“It was good experience being among the fans because we got a real feel for how they felt. It shows with the number of season tickets that have been told how much being back in the Premiership means to them. I think we’ve a squad to go for the title.
“We’d driven up that morning and because we were new to it, we parked the car at the wrong end of the ground. The Celtic end. So we’d to walk through the Celtic fans to get to the other side. Luckily I’d a coat and a hat, just to make sure.
“They clocked on to Josh, he’s the more recognisable of the two of us and I was obviously this 6’4” guy next to him, so it was quite easy to work out. A few came up and asked for pictures and welcomed us to the club. It was good, a nice welcome.”
Boss Warburton reckons the Old Firm game was a key factor in Rangers being able to bring the likes of Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar to Glasgow this season as he looks to build a squad capable of stopping Celtic in their Premiership tracks.
Crooks was already sold on a switch and excited at what lay ahead as he entered the final months of his Accrington Stanley deal. Now the 22-year-old is even more enthusiastic about the coming campaign after witnessing Warburton’s side give the Light Blue legions plenty to cheer.
"When I was a kid I went to a lot of Manchester United games, including the one against Real Madrid when Manchester United won 4-3. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for them and he got a standing ovation,” he said. “That was a special night and it remains the best individual player performance that I have ever seen. I was only about 12 but I still talk about it now as one of the best games I've ever seen. But I've never been at an atmosphere like that Rangers v Celtic game before in my life. It was just incredible.
"As far as the game itself went, Rangers winning was a fair reflection on how the match went. They played them off the park. No disrespect to Celtic but I think Rangers showed them how to play. I was impressed with how the lads wanted to play football. You could see the lads enjoyed it and how much it meant to them.”
The countdown may be on to the big kick-off but Crooks has had a false start to his time at Ibrox as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. The Englishman faces a fight for a starting spot once he has overcome his fitness battle but he is determined to make his mark in Warburton’s side.
It is a challenge Crooks is more than able to face, though. At 20, he was diagnosed with Epilepsy and he is now a campaigner to raise awareness of the disease that he once feared could cost him his career.
"It's a serious condition,” Crooks said. “I'm starting to become an ambassador for Epilepsy Research for the United Kingdom. It's something that means a lot to me. For me personally, as long as I keep taking my tablets and I can keep it under control it will be fine.
"I took about eight seizures in around four months and I wasn't sure what tablets to take. But in the grand scheme of things I want to keep playing football and thankfully the doctors and neurologists gave me the green light to keep playing.
"I thought it could have been [a problem] but I spoke with the physios and it was new territory for everyone. They had never had a player with epilepsy before but once we spoke to the neurologist they quickly said I would be fine. It's not going to be a problem as long as I keep it under control.”
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