GIVEN the chaos that surrounded Rangers back in January 2018, Russell Martin was always facing a tall order when he arrived at Ibrox on loan from Norwich City.
In what will rank as one of the most ignominious campaigns in the club’s history, the season had started with the European humiliation at the hands of Progres Niederkorn.
Pedro Caixinha was sacked as manager just a couple of months further down the line, before Graeme Murty took charge on an interim basis.
Looking to add some experience in central defence, it was Murty who signed Martin after the pair had worked together previously at Norwich.
But it didn’t go to plan. In particular, two hammerings by Celtic towards the end of the season ensured the atmosphere among the Rangers supporters, and also in the dressing room, turned toxic.
The first was a 4-0 defeat at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, before Rangers then lost 5-0 at Celtic Park a fortnight later. Martin played the full 90 minutes in both matches.
Rangers head coach Russell Martin had a short but unsuccessful spell on loan as a player
Martin bonded with legendary Ibrox kit man Jimmy Bell, who passed away in 2022
It was a bruising experience and one which Martin has spoken candidly about this week after being named as Rangers’ new head coach.
The season would end with Jimmy Nicholl taking charge of the team as Rangers and Hibs fought out a 5-5 draw at Easter Road on the final day, with the Ibrox club finishing third in the league.
Yet, even despite the chaos and mutiny around him, Martin knew he was learning from one of the very best. In Jimmy Bell, there was no greater man from whom to learn the values and history of Rangers as a club.
Jimmy Bell with former Rangers manager Walter Smith and masseur Davie Lavery
The legendary Ibrox kitman, who sadly passed away in 2022, became an invaluable source of knowledge and guidance to Martin, even in those darkest of times. So, too, did club masseur Davie ‘Disco’ Lavery.
‘It was amazing to be around those guys,’ said the new head coach, who has signed a three-year deal to take charge at Ibrox. ‘Disco got engaged the other night, so I want to congratulate him.
‘It would always just remind you about what the club meant, what brought it success, we’d talk about it a lot — Jimmy especially.
‘For the first week or two, I didn’t have a clue. Jimmy hardly said a word to me apart from to tell me off about kit and stuff.
‘By the end, we got on really well. I was so sad when he passed. On my last day at the training ground, he brought in a bottle of whisky. I was in the jacuzzi and I was the last one there.
‘He brought in two plastic cups, and I don’t drink, but I felt obligated because it was Jimmy. He’s a Rangers legend. I was already a bit dehydrated, I’d been in the jacuzzi too long and he poured me a couple.
Martin was on the wrong end of two heavy beatings from Celtic during his loan spell
‘He told me so many stories and it was a beautiful moment. I’m really glad I shared that with him. I was very grateful because I felt that meant he had accepted me.
‘It hadn’t gone well on the pitch, but he understood that I’d tried my very best. I’d really tried with a few of the young lads as well and spent a lot of extra time with them to try to help them on their journeys.
‘Jimmy was regaling me of stories for a long time, and I had to leave in a taxi. It probably explains my performance the day after. When you’ve an appreciation of how much it meant to him as a person, someone who’d worked in the club and seen it all.
‘I think to feel that passionate about the club, and Disco as well, the way he talks about it, he got emotional talking about his football club and what it meant to him.
‘Disco was sad at that point because it wasn’t what it was, and he was desperate for it to be back to where it was. So, we had a lovely conversation the other day and he’s delighted I’m coming back… or so he’s told me! I said to Disco at the time when I was here as a player, I want to manage this club one day. He texted me last night saying: “You’ve made it happen. Well done, I’m proud of you”. I’m really grateful for that.
Martin celebrates a goal against Hearts during his loan spell at Rangers
‘When I came here, I wanted to stay here as a player for as long as I could. And then when it became apparent that it wasn’t going to happen, the aim was then to try to get back here as a coach or as a manager. And thankfully I’ve been able to do that.’
Back in 2018, Martin was the victim of sectarian abuse during his time in Glasgow. In a clip which was circulated on social media, he was verbally abused by a Celtic fan in the middle of a shop.
He understands the intensity of working in Glasgow is unlike any other environment, but insists the positive messages of support far outweigh the trolls.
Martin is thick-skinned and has high tolerance levels in terms of stress, qualities which he feels came as a result of his upbringing with an abusive father.
There were times when he could walk around Glasgow in relative anonymity, even when he was on Scotland duty. It’s a luxury he will now longer have.
Rangers head coach Martin with chief executive officer Patrick Stewart
‘The size of this club, I think, people don’t understand until you come up here,’ explained the 39-year-old. ‘I thought I’d had an understanding and then being in it, it’s even bigger than what you think and how much it means to people.
‘Also, I played for Scotland for six or seven years prior to that and still had complete anonymity walking around Glasgow if I was up here for a game.
‘Then, literally the day after I came here, I was walking through the West End and had none.
‘I was like, “Okay, that’s changed. Now I need to go out with a hat on and my glasses if I want to go and read in the West End”.
‘In football you have to accept it is part and parcel that sometimes you might get a bit of stick. I never felt under threat. I think I only got put out because someone filmed it.
‘On the whole, the positive stuff — the conversations you have with people, even fans of opposition teams — far outweighs the negative stuff. The intensity of it all is not like anywhere else I’ve ever experienced, but I think that’s part of the attraction.’
