Rangers and PSV set to captivate Dutch football as Gio vs Ruud sparks 'big interest' back home

Scott Calderwood reckons you could hardly get a cigarette paper between Rangers and PSV Eindhoven in terms of quality.

Which is why the son of former Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Ross County boss Jimmy believes the Champions League play-off will be decided by what lies between the ears of the players as much as what they can do with the ball at their feet. The 44-year-old followed in his dad’s footsteps by managing in Holland – where Jimmy coached Willem II and NEC Nijmegen before his successful career in Scotland – and is currently the boss of Dutch third-tier side VV DOVO.

The Rotterdam-based outfit are one of the country’s biggest semi- pro clubs and managing them has given Scott the chance to see at first hand what makes top sides such as Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV tick. And he admits there is plenty to like about the team being fashioned by Ruud van Nistelrooy in Eindhoven.

The Dutch strike legend took on his first head coach role in March and has quickly assembled a young, vibrant side that got past Monaco to set up a clash with his friend and former international team-mate Gio van Bronckhorst. Calderwood said: “I’ve been watching the games Rangers have played this season and I really do think it’s a 50-50 tie. PSV have a good team and the way van Nistelrooy has moulded his team is quite impressive.

“This is his first job as a head coach so all eyes were on him and to have got past Monaco was a big achievement – and he won’t want to stop there. They didn’t really know where they were standing before they played Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield a couple of weeks ago and beat them 5-3. Guus Til scored a hat-trick so they took a lot of belief from that game.

“There will be a big interest in the Gio v Ruud