Rabbi Matondo: Rangers’ run to Europa League final gave me goosebumps

Rabbi Matondo revealed he got goosebumps from Rangers’ thrilling run to Seville in 2022 even though he had not yet joined the Ibrox club.

The Light Blues beat the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig to reach the final of the Europa League, only to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties in the final in Spain following a 1-1 draw.

The 23-year-old Wales international joined Rangers from German side Schalke 04 that summer and after an indifferent first season has begun this campaign in encouraging form.

Matondo is “100 per cent” dreaming of helping the Light Blues to another Europa League run, starting with Thursday night’s opening group game against Real Betis at Ibrox.

He said of the Seville campaign: “Watching from the outside I was even getting goosebumps for the lads and I didn’t even know half of them at that time, so you can only imagine being involved in it yourself. I don’t know how I’d feel.

“Of course playing for big clubs, you want to be involved in the biggest competitions and the Europa is one of them.

“I think for the boys who were involved in that run, it’s going to motivate them and push them because they know what it was like. I don’t know what it was like to get to that stage of Europe.

“When I first joined the club it was me who was asking them about it.

“They didn’t win the final, which was obviously disappointing, but it was still a great achievement with how far they got.

“And I like to ask questions as I was curious about it when I first joined. I’d say it was more me asking them than them talking about it.

“But ultimately it is game by game. We have to look at the game in front of us, which is Betis tomorrow.

“We know they are a good side so we have to try and beat them first.

“Ultimately, we are always going to play every game to win, so we will just see where we can go from there.”