Rangers can fly flag for Scotland and become history makers

Rangers stand ready to do Scotland proud in Seville tonight.

The club now have the chance to become the first football club to bring back a European trophy to Scotland since 1983.

Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen edged out Real Madrid to bring back the Cup Winners’ Cup a full 39 years ago, followed by a win that same year in the Super Cup against Hamburg.

Dundee United went close to winning the UEFA Cup in 1987, and Celtic agonisingly lost out in 2003.

Rangers went close in 2008 – and tonight have the chance go one better.

Scotland has enjoyed a remarkable upswing in our sporting fortunes in recent years.

Steve Clarke led the men’s national team to its first major tournament this century when they reached Euro 2020.

The nation was gripped as Eve Muirhead led an all-Scottish Team GB side to curling gold at the recent Winter Olympics.

We punched above our weight in recent decades with world-beaters in tennis star Andy Murray, Olympic cycling hero Chris Hoy and world-class boxing champs like Josh Taylor.

Now a Scottish club winning in Europe could be another triumph and prove that we are once again a force in the football world.

It will be tough but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have already proved they can beat the best in Europe this season.

They just have to do it once more tonight to be history makers.