‘It Really Is A Relief’ – Rangers Out-on-loan Star Makes Admission | OneFootball

Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Rangers out-on-loan forward Danilo has admitted that scoring has come as a relief after netting his debut goal for loan club NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie.

The Brazilian forward joined the Dutch side on loan in the January transfer window following a difficult spell at Rangers and is looking to rediscover his form in the Eredivisie, where he previously thrived before moving to the Glasgow outfit in 2023.

One former Rangers star dubbed him ‘the full package’ just months into his Gers career, after being impressed.

Injuries played their part in restricting Danilo’s chances to make an impact, while managerial changes also did not help him.

Now the attacker is trying to get back on track in the Netherlands.

After coming on as a substitute against Feyenoord, his former club, the 27-year-old scored his first goal for NEC on Sunday in his seventh appearance, as he looks to make an impression.

Danilo revealed the goal brought a sense of relief, pointing to the work he has been putting in behind the scenes and the mental challenge of going through a difficult spell without scoring.

He also reflected on missing an earlier chance in the game, stressing the importance of staying focused and trusting that another opportunity would come rather than letting frustration take over.

Danilo was quoted as saying by Dutch outlet Forzanec.nl: “It really is a relief. I have worked very hard lately.

“Maybe not everyone saw that, but mentally that plays a part too. You want to score, you want to show what you can do.

“I had already missed a big chance earlier.

“Then people might think: what are you doing?

“But the most important thing is to stay focused and keep believing that another chance will come.”

NEC hold an option to buy Danilo at the end of the season, though it remains unclear whether they will activate it or if he will return to Ibrox next season.

However, if he can build momentum from his debut goal, NEC could look to keep him beyond the season, especially as they currently sit third in the Eredivisie and remain in contention for a Champions League spot, increasing the need for squad depth.

A Rangers return would mean Danilo needing to impress Danny Rohl over the course of pre-season and he would be competing with Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti and Ryan Naderi for game time at Ibrox.