Yan Dhanda’s time in English football makes him well aware of the template for Ross County success against Rangers at Ibrox today.
Midfielder Dhanda joined the Staggies in the summer after leaving Swansea City, where he made 50 appearances in the English Championship.
In 2019, Dhanda was part of a Swans side which claimed an impressive 1-0 victory over Leeds United at a packed Elland Road.
It proved to be a rare defeat for Leeds, who went on to win the title by a margin of 10 points that season.
Dhanda insists the same principles apply for his Staggies side today, as they travel to Ibrox to face a Gers side fresh from qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League.
He said: “I’ve played at quite a few English grounds that could compare to Ibrox in size.
“One that sticks in my mind is Leeds United away – the atmosphere was bouncing.
“We went there and got a win, which was amazing.
“Hopefully we can do the same thing on Saturday down at Ibrox and cause an upset.
“Playing in front of that many fans and in that kind of atmosphere is everything you dream of as a kid.
“We have to go there with no fear, really, as that’s when you get the best performances.
“Everyone knows Rangers will dominate the ball. We go in as huge underdogs, but we play with no pressure.
“When you go to a place like that, the crowd plays a big part.
“You have to do as much as you can to stop the crowd being their 12th man, so we just have to play without fear and you never know what we may come away with.”
Dhanda was handed his first league start of the campaign, as he helped Malky Mackay’s men claim a 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock last weekend.
The Birmingham-born player is keen make himself a fixture in the side, adding: “I’m just desperate to play football and I was just happy to play from the start against Kilmarnock.
“The manager felt I had to give myself time after not playing so much last year, and having a short pre-season because of the cup, but I went in on Saturday and played nearly the full game which was good for me.
“I’ve had to stay patient, but I came in on Saturday and we got the win, so it is perfect.”
Staggies have confidence behind them
Former England under-17 international Dhanda says the late victory over Killie has provided the Dingwall men with a timely boost ahead of their trip to Glasgow.
The 23-year-old added: “We had some difficult games and hadn’t managed to get a win before this weekend.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve noticed the togetherness of the group and everyone saw that on Saturday. We went down to 10 men and still managed to get the win.
“Training has been very positive and everyone is full of energy.
“It is always good to get your first three points and now we can go to Rangers with a lot more confidence, and try to get as many points as we can down there.”
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