Danilo confesses he was Rangers star in a rush as he reveals key Clement advice amid gruelling rehab

Fit-again frontman Danilo admits he’s spent the last 10 months in a hurry.

But now he’s finally overcome the worst of his devastating knee injury, Rangers’ Brazilian striker realises now that patience is the key to making his comeback last. The former Feyenoord and Ajax ace was just getting into stride under Philippe Clement late last year when he suffered the cruellest of blows at Tynecastle with a season-ending ligament tear.

The road back from that bleak moment has been brutal, filled with moments when the mental anguish stung every bit as sharply as the physical agony he was going through. Throughout his long rehab process, Danilo admits he was pushing himself to go as fast as possible as often as possible.

But when he was finally able to get the boots back on, that’s when Clement stepped in to urge his eager attacker to take a breath and calm things down. It meant the manager had to frustrate fans who were expecting to see the 25-year-old back in action as the new season got underway back at the scene of Danilo’s injury blow last December in Gorgie.

In fact, it would be game No5 before the striker would be offered his opening minutes of the campaign, and even then Clement’s easy-does-it approach meant he was hooked 45 minutes into last week’s win over St Johnstone.

But the moment he had been waiting for finally came at the end of a second-half run out against Ross County on Saturday as Danilo poked home his first goal since netting against Sparta Prague on November 9 last year.

For the frontman, it was confirmation that good things do indeed come to those who wait. “It was great to score,” he admitted. “I don’t have the words. I have got so much emotion about that moment. Hopefully there’s many more to come.

“I