Kevin Muscat on Rangers brink LIVE as first press conference under new era gets underway in Glasgow

For me, he is up there with the best because he has the stats to prove it as far as wins go.

To win a Championship anywhere is always difficult, but the way he’s won them and the football he’s played puts him up there with the best.

Where will he end up? Anywhere. He can coach anywhere. It’s not just football, it’s the psychology behind everything.

The tactical side of things, it’s not just the training session. To play the football he wants to play, there’s a lot of work that goes into it.

His thought process on analysis and the way he presents to players is something I’ve never seen before, because he thinks of the way a player thinks. He is so visual.

The way he speaks to players before the game, at half-time - it’s an art. A lot of people don’t have that art.

I have tried to keep everything as normal as possible.

I am taking everything day by day, and we have a game on Saturday which we have to win.

With a lot of the players being away on international duty at the start of the week, the first couple of sessions, the mood was down.

But now you see a full focus from the players, and the mood has lifted, and the focus is on tomorrow.

I’ve been really lucky with the last two managers I’ve worked with, Ange and Kevin, because they really push and drive those high standards. Kevin has a relentless pursuit of being excellent. He is a winner.

If he thinks someone in the squad or coaching team is taking it easy or using a shortcut, he’d be onto it.

Kevin and Ange are definitely similar, especially when it comes to being into sports science and conditioning and curiosity.

Sometimes it’s harder on me because I have to keep pushing the players and that’s difficult too because generally I’m pushing them to do a lot of things they don’t want to do.

But we also have the added benefit that most of the players enjoy the football we’re playing and they can see the correlation.

When they see the results, Kevin’s really good at giving them feedback. It’s putting it all together to give the player a lot of positive feedback on how important it is.

He has a genuine care for players, staff, the way we play football, the club and club’s image, integrity. A good mixture.

It makes for an environment where you feel you’re part of something that’s really special and you’re going to be a winner. You have to keep trying to be the best at what you do.

Kevin as a player, a lot of people will remember him as a bit of a firebrand to put it plainly.

But as a manager he’s a little bit opposite of that.

He was a disciple of Ange at the start of his managerial career but he’s a little bit different.

I think he’s much more adaptable than Ange. He’s willing to forsake a lot of his playing principles to make sure he gets a result.

He’s had a good time in Japan and China and had a great time here in Australia.

But in Scotland it will be different.

Rangers need to get back to where they should be – they have obviously had a very tough time.

But his old playing connection there and the fact he really wants to prove himself – I think this is a good opportunity for him and a really good choice from the club.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Kevin Muscat is probably the last thing almost everyone else would expect.

Let’s be honest, he earned himself a bit of a reputation as a player. And not without reason.

Musky was as hard as nails and we soon realised that inside the dressing room when he signed for Rangers more than 23 years ago.

But my abiding memories of him might surprise you. I don’t think so much about the persona he put on when he crossed the white line as a fearsome competitor. That was nothing more than his game face.

No, what I remember most of all is his personality away from the pitch. And I mean it when I say you would struggle to meet a nicer, more friendly, down to earth family man.

I got to know him quite well over that one season together because we travelled into training together every day with Craig Moore and Bob Malcolm.

And I thoroughly enjoyed his company because he was a really genuine, likeable man’s man.

Musky might have scared the life out of his opponents on the pitch. But off it he was just a really good human being. That’s the best way I can sum him up.

He was sociable, funny, good company and intelligent. The kind of team-mate you wanted beside you in the trenches – there’s no doubt about that.

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