THERE was no champagne, no fanfare and no title party when Jason Holt was presented with his first Championship medal. He isn’t daring to dream of a second just yet, though.
Days after his Hearts team-mates had soaked up the adulation from the Jambos crowd and toasted their triumph, Holt was handed his medal inside Tynecastle by boss Robbie Neilson upon his return to the Capital from the Steel City.
Despite making 19 appearances for Neilson’s side in the first half of last season, Holt found himself out of favour and out of the club before the end of January as he headed south of the border to Sheffield United. His time at Bramall Lane would prove successful and worthwhile as, back in Gorgie, Hearts were romping to title glory as they clinched their Premiership return at the first time of asking.
He would leave Tynecastle for good during the summer as he clinched a switch to Rangers and the midfielder has gone on to become an integral part of Mark Warburton’s side this term. Rangers are five points clear of second-placed Hibernian, and one better off than Hearts were at this stage last season, as they have made an impressive start to the campaign.
Another medal and a proper title party are in Holt’s sights, but the 22-year-old knows the champagne is still very much on ice at Ibrox.
“As soon as I saw the league was won I was delighted for the rest of the boys and Robbie and the coaching staff as they thoroughly deserved it,” Holt said. “I played in games at the start but people come and go in football and that’s part and parcel of the game.
“It would be great to be able to celebrate it this time but it’s still early doors in the season and we don’t want to look too far ahead.
“When I came back up I went and saw the manager and coaching staff and got it. I got it from the manager and he congratulated me. It was nice to see them and I congratulated them as well. With the circumstances, I still had games down south so there wasn’t really a chance to catch up with the boys.”
One of those who Holt congratulated but didn’t get the chance to celebrate with is defender Danny Wilson, whom he followed from Tynecastle to Ibrox this summer. It is a switch that has paid dividends for the playmaker as he has quickly settled into life in Light Blue and helped Warburton’s side win 17 of their 19 fixtures this term.
He has been one of Rangers’ most consistent performers in the 4-3-3 formation Warburton has implemented and he is keen to add to the four goals he has netted already.
“This style of play and the formation the manager goes with encourages me to push on,” Holt said. “He wants his two advanced midfielders to push on and try and chip in with goals and assists.
“The formation the manager plays is positive and I had to get in the team and take it from there. I’ve scored a few but I can’t rest on my laurels. I want to go on and get more.”
Holt couldn’t add to his tally on Saturday as Rangers beat Alloa 4-0 at Ibrox to maintain their five point advantage over Hibs at the top of the table. It was a polished performance from Warburton’s side as they recovered from their defeat at Easter Road the previous weekend with another deserved victory.
“After the Hibs game we wanted a reaction as a team and we managed to do that so we’re happy,” Holt said. “It hurt a lot. No team likes to lose and we’re no different. It was important we reacted well and we did that against Alloa.
“The reaction is the thing – if you lose you don’t want heads to drop and you have to be straight back at it. Training was really good last week and it showed at the weekend.”
*Supporters can now take advantage of a half season ticket offer with prices starting from £131* for adults, £105* for concessions and just £26** for kids. Season tickets are valid from the Rangers v Hibernian game at Ibrox on Monday, 28 December and are the perfect Christmas gift. Fans can buy half season tickets online at www.rangers.co.uk, by calling 0871 702 1972 or visiting the Rangers Ticket Centre.
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