Michael Mols: I knew my injury hell was over when I lifted the Cup to seal Treble

[ian1964 10,419]

 

FOR a certain generation of Rangers supporter, there is one striker whose name still resonates straight through to their hearts and brings a

smile to their faces as wide as the one he sported himself – Michael Mols.

 

The Dutch striker spent five years in Glasgow after joining from Utrecht in 1999, before returning there after a memo-rable spell in Light Blue.

 

Brought in for £4million by Dick Advocaat, the Netherlands international scored 48 goals for Rangers on the way to two Premier Division titles, a Scottish Cup and a League Cup, while also being part of Alex McLeish’s Treble-winning side of 2003 in the process.

 

Indeed, his collection could have been even more impressive if it weren’t for a cruel injury sustained in a Champions League tie away to Bayern Munich in 1999. He also played in the run up to the League Cup and Scottish Cup triumphs of 2002, only to be denied a medal as he didn’t appear in the final.

Speaking exclusively to SportTimes, Mols answers our questions as he looks back over his medal haul.

 

What was your first medal?

 

MY first title at Rangers came in 2000, although I don’t consider it really to be my first medal.

 

The first year I came, I got quickly injured. I played nine games and scored nine goals before that game against Bayern Munich in November 1999.

We became champions of Scotland at the end of that season and I got my medal [Mols played one game less than the required SPL amount but special dispensation was given to issue him with a medal], but it didn’t feel that it was mine.

 

What is your favourite medal?

 

MY favourite and most valuable prize I won at Rangers was the CIS Cup in our Treble-winning year. It all has to do with the history.

A couple of years into my time at Rangers, the manager [McLeish] came to me and told me I could find another club because he wanted to get

players out. I went on trial on Sunderland on the last weekend of the transfer window.

 

Everything seemed to be right, they wanted to sign me, but then their manager Peter Reid made a call to someone at Rangers and they told him that my knee wasn’t good anymore, let me put it that way.

 

When I came back, I had to play in the reserves. With the transfer window opening in January, I thought it was the end of my career at Rangers but that it was also going to be difficult for me to find another club if the information about my knee was well known.

 

But I then started to get a chance for McLeish again. I got back into the team and that’s why winning the CIS Cup the following season was the most memorable and precious for me.

 

When I lifted the cup, everything went through my mind from the period before.

 

The injury, the three operations, maybe that I’d never play again at the highest level and that at one point in my mind I wanted to stop playing football.

 

At that moment it felt that my dream had come true. It also made it more special that it came against Celtic!

 

What medal do you get asked about most?

 

TO be honest, fans never ask me about the medals, when they think about me they always think of my injury!

 

Some may say my first league win, but probably in 2003 when we beat Dundee in the Scottish Cup final, as that helped deliver a Treble.

That made a season very special because not many teams achieve that. It was also the 50th league title and I believe we were the first club in the world to do that.

 

Of course we had a memo-rable afternoon the week earlier when we clinched the SPL title on the last game of the season.

 

We knew when we went on the pitch against Dunfermline we had to score as many as possible because Celtic were on the same points.

 

I scored quickly for 1-0 and then they equalised. I remember we were 3-1 up going in to the dressing room at half-time but it was quiet.

You knew already it wasn’t enough and we heard the score with Celtic down at Kilmarnock.

I remember I got substituted and at the end of the game when we won 6-1 we had to wait for the Rugby Park result to come through. It was the two longest minutes of my life.

 

When word finally came out that we won, the whole stadium was overjoyed, then the celebrations started as we got the trophy and our medals.

 

Any medal you wish you had that is missing from your collection?

THE reason I joined Rangers was to play in Europe and win prizes. I left having done that and with a lot of great memories.

 

Where are your medals now?

 

I DON’T know where they are, I think they are in a cabinet with papers!

I’ve won a few prizes but they are more individual. For me, it’s the memories that are important to me.

I don’t look at the medals any more. They are somewhere, but the memories are still with me.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14536731.Former_Rangers_Striker_Michael_Mols__I_knew_my_injury_hell_was_over_when_I_lifted_the_Cup_to_seal_Treble/#articleContinue

[gisabeer 409]

lovedd this guy. worth the admission fee alone!

[ian1964 10,419]

lovedd this guy. worth the admission fee alone!

 

He only got 6 caps for the Netherlands!,up against stiff competition mind you!

[boabie 230]

One of the best players I ever saw anywhere in world football.

[jhunter 0]

that rangers team that he spearheaded before his injury was probably the best i've seen

 

he was sublime - made an arse of cannavaro against parma at Ibrox in 99

[MacK1950 2,231]

He played at the time when I was unable to attend due to working restrictions,but got to see him on a few occasions,got his injury for being too honest in a tackle.

Another player who we did not get his full potential after the injury similar to Durrant but another legend.

[Bearman 9]

 

Of course we had a memorable afternoon the week earlier when we clinched the SPL title on the last game of the season.

 

We knew when we went on the pitch against Dunfermline we had to score as many as possible because Celtic were on the same points.

 

I scored quickly for 1-0 and then they equalised. I remember we were 3-1 up going in to the dressing room at half-time but it was quiet.

You knew already it wasn’t enough and we heard the score with Celtic down at Kilmarnock.

I remember I got substituted and at the end of the game when we won 6-1 we had to wait for the Rugby Park result to come through. It was the two longest minutes of my life.

 

When word finally came out that we won, the whole stadium was overjoyed, then the celebrations started as we got the trophy and our medals.

 

Am I the only one on here who had two telly's in the living room that day?

 

My memory is a bit shot, I'm sure both games were shown live on different channels, must have been STV & BBC as I didn't have Sky then. Is this right, or am talking a load of bollocks?

 

Auld age. BAH BAH and double BAH!

[Rousseau 9,386]

Am I the only one on here who had two telly's in the living room that day?

 

My memory is a bit shot, I'm sure both games were shown live on different channels, must have been STV & BBC as I didn't have Sky then. Is this right, or am talking a load of bollocks?

 

Auld age. BAH BAH and double BAH!

 

No, you're correct. I think they were on BBC One and BBC Two.

[compo 6,150]

The big german goalie was a big square headed animal he knew what he was doing

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Jurgen kholer who was a very scary man himself said he only feared 2 things. War and Oliver khan