I was in the last Rangers team who faced Panathinaikos and we brushed off their missiles by dumping them out of Europe

Daily Record

6 days ago

Steven Naismith got a taste of the cauldron of noise at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium during Gers run to the UEFA Cup final in 2008
THE last time Rangers faced Panathinaikos in Athens Steven Naismithhad to sprint up the tunnel to avoid being hit by coins and glass bottles. And that was just in the WARM-UP.
As a wet-behind-the-ears 21-year-old, he was blown away by the atmosphere at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. There were only 16,000 inside the ground that night in 2008 as Walter Smith 's side secured a 1-1 draw to progress in the UEFA Cup.
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It was the start of their memorable run to the final in Manchester, which ended in defeat to Zenit St Petersburg. Now, 17 years on, Gers are gearing up to take on the Greens again – this time in a crucial Champions League qualifier next month.
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This game will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, which will house 75,000 fanatical supporters. And if the atmosphere is anything like what it's like at their home ground, Naismith says Russell Martin and his side are in for a baptism of fire.
It will be the new gaffer's first competitive action since taking over at Ibrox. After a home leg in Govan, they'll attempt to reach the next Champions League qualifying round and eventually the lucrative group stage.
But Naismith knows it won't be easy in the Greek heat, having experienced it himself as a player. The former Rangers forward said: 'That was one of the most hostile places ever. It was on the run to the UEFA Cup Final.
'I remember Gate 13. That is where the tunnel is and all the Ultras gather round it. Naively, I was laughing and joking coming out for the warm-up.
'But the next minute, there were glass bottles, coins, all sorts getting launched at us. Every time you went near the tunnel, you had to sprint in and sprint out.
'It was really hostile, that's my biggest memory of it. The night turned out to be really good for us, with Nacho Novo coming on and scoring to make it 1-1. It was a brilliant environment to play in but very hostile.
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'When you look at the teams Rangers could have got, it's definitely the toughest opposition. On top of that, you've had a takeover, a new manager and a squad rebuild that needs to happen.'
Naismith stood up to the challenge against Panathinaikos that night and helped Rangers qualify. And he says ties like these are where new boss Martin will really find out about his players' character.
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Naismith believes individuals can either thrive or wilt under the pressure, which is the true test of being an Old Firm player. He said: 'You can talk about an atmosphere but until you're in it and experience it, it's just words.
'When you do experience it, it's a case of what way are you going? Are you intimidated or do you think this is good?
'That's the real root of whether you're going to be a success at Rangers or Celtic. It's about mentality. Do you go into that environment in Athens and think I'm up for that, I like a bit of this?
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'Or do you say, don't give me the ball because I'm scared? If it's the latter, you won't be a success.
'And that can be players with great ability. For the last 30 years, Rangers and Celtic have signed players who are brilliant in other leagues but can't hack it here.
'It's all down to mentality. That's been a problem for Rangers. To say players have hidden is unfair. They just can't hack it.
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'Philippe Clement made a point of buying younger players to develop. But younger players rarely have that mentality straight away and are ready to go.
'That's where they become safe. When they're 1-0 down at home with 10 minutes to go and they don't want to make a brave pass or shoot from a tight angle. It's tough.'
Martin will be under the microscope from the off as Rangers manager, with Champions League qualifiers sandwiched between Scottish Premiership games. Financially, it's vital for the club and its new American owners to be dining at Europe's top table.
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But Naismith insists Martin's first priority has to be the bread-and-butter domestic games – where Rangers have fallen well short in recent years. He said: 'As important as Champions League and European success is – if Rangers miss out on this one but make the next 10 – that's proper success.
'You have to understand where Rangers are at just now. I think that success domestically has to be the first aim. Of course, it's not as clear-cut as saying it's one over the other – because Rangers can have both.
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'But what won't be accepted is what's happened in previous years where it has been: 'Oh we've done well in Europe but we're 10 or 15 points behind in the league'.
'That just won't wash.That's what has to change. Rangers have to beat the other teams in the Scottish top flight. If you look at the points they dropped against teams from the middle to low end of the table last season, it was unacceptable.
'That's how the gap goes from being four points – where there is still pressure on the team at the top – to that big a gap where it becomes easy and the team at the top can cruise.'
● Steven Naismith was speaking courtesy of William Hill and the Warm-Up, SPFL title sponsors.