AS a schoolboy in Eindhoven, Kevin van Veen paid more attention to Scottish football than would normally have been the case after Dick Advocaat became Rangers manager in 1998 and began transforming Govan into a Dutch colony.

International stars Arthur Numan, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Mols, Fernando Ricksen, Ronald and Frank de Boer plus Bert Konterman were all signed during the period and all seven of them scored at Ibrox. Now van Veen hopes to do likewise when in-form Motherwell make the short journey along the M8 tomorrow.

“I played for PSV Eindhoven and I know quite a few big names from the Netherlands played for Rangers,” he said. “I remember Michael Mols, the striker, and the other players who played for Rangers, although I was quite young at that time.

“Everybody in the Netherland knows the big two, Celtic and Rangers. Obviously, Rangers were very big because of all the Dutch players that were going there and they were quite big names as well: after they left Rangers some of them went onto bigger things, like going to Barcelona and those types of teams.

“t makes it interesting on Sunday and I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

Motherwell have taken 10 points from their last four fixtures and Van Veen believes the visitors can pile the pressure on the hosts following their 2-0 defeat to Lyon on Thursday.

“It’s going to be very tough but everyone knows we’re in good form at this moment. Everybody is very confident but, at the same time, we have two feet on the ground, very down to earth,” he said.