Juninho Bacuna endured 'difficult' Rangers experience upon Gio van Bronckhorst's arrival but has no Ibrox regrets

Former Rangers midfielder Juninho Bacuna has revealed his Ibrox prospects withered after the arrival of Gio van Bronckhorst as manager.

And that's what led to his swift exit from Govan in the January window as he left for Birmingham City just five months after signing under Steven Gerrard.

The Curacao international arrived from Huddersfield in August with Gerrard talking him up as a player with "major talent".

But Gerrard would quit for Aston Villa the following month to be replaced by Van Bronckhorst - and Bacuna has revealed he just couldn't catch the former Feyenoord boss' eye no matter how hard he tried.

That led to Bacuna's own departure for Birmingham City towards the end of the winter window.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, Bacuna said: "The first half of the season was a bit hard for myself. I had to get fit, played a few games and then the new manager came in, I didn’t really have a chance to play. That was hard for me.

"I don’t see it (Rangers career) as a missed opportunity. I went there with great hopes to play games.

"But anything can happen in football, the manager left, a new manager came in, you have to train hard every day and hopefully the manager gives you your chance.

"It was a difficult time but I needed to just stay focused on myself, work hard every day and hopefully you get your chance – but I didn’t.

"It’s football, it’s basically a business, it happens, if you don’t find your way at a club you search for something new. I want to play games.

"I didn’t get my chance with Rangers so you make a decision, ‘Are you going to stay or leave to play games?’ I made my decision to come to Birmingham to play games."