Vaclav Cerny on the unseen Rangers potential he has spotted as Celtic told there is 'more to come'

The loanee is relishing the chance to impress during his spell at Ibrox

Vaclav Cerny might not be with Rangers for a long time. But the Czech international certainly believes he could be in for for a good time at Ibrox.

The Wolfsburg wideman has signed up for a 12-month stint in Glasgow having joined Philippe Clement’s new-look Light Blues on loan. It’s been a mixed bag for the 26-year-old so far, with the highs of an assist on his European debut against Dynamo Kyiv and a stunning first goal against Motherwell soured by the club’s early Champions League exit. But as the former Ajax ace seasons plenty of reason to be optimistic about the season ahead as he gears up for his first taste of Old Firm action this weekend.

He said: "It has been great so far. First of all everybody welcomed me so adapting to the team, to the squad and to the people around the club has been amazing for me. This has helped me to adapt quickly and be a part of the team, which is the most important thing when you come to a new place, so everybody helped me a lot.

"The squad is very friendly, so everybody gave me a really warm welcome and from day one it felt very positive. In the games I have played, it is what l have expected from Scottish football. From our side there are a lot of things we have got to improve but that’s normal and it’s good that there are things to improve.

"I have a good feeling about it and in the end there is just one thing I have to do and that is give my all. I think it’s going to get easier and easier once l get used to everything around here, but I have a good feeling.

"I hope we can make this season an amazing one for literally everyone because I think this club deserves it. I’m here now for one year and that is all I have so I want to give it my best and do the best we can as a team to make it a season to remember.”

It didn’t take Cerny long to make an impression on his new supporters as he swept home with a sublime strike on his first start against Well. “As a winger or an attacker it is such a difficult one if you have to wait for your first goal, so it was an amazing moment to be able to score in one of my first games,” he said.

"It helps you as a player and it also helps the people around the club to see that I am capable of helping the team and I just want to keep doing that. It was nice to have an impact straight away and I can't wait to do it more."

The Ibrox faithful would love to see a repeat on Sunday as they head into battle at the Parkhead coliseum. The Light Blues have been roundly written off as long-shots to get a result against Brendan Rodgers’ champions. But Cerny is encouraged by what he’s seen from his new side.

“It's good to know there's more to come," he said. "But it’s also dangerous because we are together every day so we all know there is so much potential here, it just has to come out. We have to show it to everybody and when the moment comes, I think we can do some nice things.”

One man who will be proud of Cerny no matter the result is Vaclav Snr. The winger’s old man was a player himself back in the day, turning out a handful of times in the Czech lower leagues before turning his attentions to helping his boy fulfil his ambitions.

"My dad was a player himself and when I was around the age of three or four he was already finished with his career and he started to train young lads in my city,” he explained. I went with him and joined in. That’s where it started for me.

"He wasn't exactly my coach, although he was my coach, and he still is, kind of! The talks we have together are so good and l always treasure this - he's the one person that’s always honest.”

From those early beginnings in his hometown of Pribram in the centre of the Czech Republic, Cerny got his big break as a teenager when he was invited to join the Ajax academy. And it’s the lessons he learned in Amsterdam that he still falls back on now he joined Gers.

Reflecting on his move to the Dutch giants, he said: "It was a fantastic moment for me to be able to go from such a small city to a very big European club, but it was also tough. I had to leave my family, I was around 14 at the time, so it wasn’t easy.

“I had to adapt to a new country but it helped me a lot in the way l’m now as a grown man. It was an experience for life. I chose to learn Dutch because my English at that moment was OK, but I think if you know you are going there for so long it was important.

"I speak Dutch fluently also, like Czech, so it’s like my second language now. In this way, the Netherlands after 11 years feels like a second home. It was a good choice to go to Ajax because their work with the young lads and preparing you for the first team is just on such a high level.

"It was one big experience. When you are 17 and you’re already making a debut for such a big club it’s something, but back then I had no experiences so it was like they threw you into the sea, but it was nice. I guess you are fearless because you don't know what to expect.

"Luckily, I had many good people around me who helped me stay focused. Even although you make a few mistakes because you are so young, you have the people who help you go through it."

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