Rothen ready to shine at Rangers

Rangers FC midfielder Jérôme Rothen may be struggling with the Scottish weather but he is determined to "make his mark" during a season-long loan spell at Ibrox.

Monaco experience
The former French international left Paris Saint-Germain FC last month to move to Glasgow, and has quickly won a place in Walter Smith's side. In addition to four domestic appearances, Rothen has featured in both of Rangers' UEFA Champions League group games, a campaign which has captured his imagination. That should come as no surprise, however, given he was a UEFA Champions League finalist with AS Monaco FC in 2004. "You get teams below the star names – Barcelona, Man United, Milan, Inter, Real Madrid – who can pull off surprises because of their teamwork. That's what we managed to do at Monaco.

Last chance
"You've got to be solid in this competition, not make silly mistakes, and work for one another. I think I'm at a club like that, and that's what I like, because you need the team to function as a unit – from that point, individual players can emerge, not the opposite way round." Despite espousing the team ethic, however, the 31-year-old is keen to make an impact on a personal level. "I appreciate being here, I really do, because there's a chance for me to develop here," he added. "My aim is to make a mark because players come and go, hundreds pass from club to club, but few leave their mark. That's my aim. The years are going by, I'm 31. Whatever I can get out of it now, I will. I am making the most of these moments."

'Amazing emotions'
The one-time SM Caen and ES Troyes Aube Champagne prospect is eager to reiterate that it was the opportunity of sitting at Europe's top table again that excited him most about Rangers' offer. "The competition gets more and more prestigious," he said. "It's something special for me, because we had that incredible adventure at Monaco in my first year in the Champions League. It's the highest level, the best clubs, the best players – everything brought together to create a real spectacle. I'm lucky to be at Rangers, and my third year in the Champions League could still be a good season. It is time to relive some amazing emotions."

Culture change
While Rothen has settled well on the field, he is still acclimatising to life off it. "I didn't speak any English before coming here – and even less Scottish," he continued. "I'm learning quite quickly, I'm trying, but it's not straightforward. I also think the sun isn't allowed to come out here, there's a barrier to it. It's not the language barrier, it's the cloud barrier. Patrice Evra says that about Manchester – the sun isn't outdoors, but you find it on the pitch. It's about looking for happiness elsewhere, because everything's set up for excitement, to let you think only about football."