How Hull City promotion winners helped smooth Ivor Pandur's Rangers move

Ivor Pandur has revealed how two of his former Hull City teammates convinced him to join Rangers and end his two-and-a-half-year spell in East Yorkshire.

After playing a starring role in City's remarkable promotion to the Premier League, Pandur moved north of the border to join the Scottish giants.

City agreed a £6m deal to sell the Croatian goalkeeper at the back end of June, with Jack Butland moving in the opposite direction, and Pandur says conversations with John Lundstram and Kieran Dowell helped convince him that Glasgow should be his next port of call.

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Lundstram was on loan at City last season, having played 150 times over a three-year spell for Rangers before moving to Trabzonspor, while Dowell was signed by the Tigers in January from Ibrox.

“You can feel the energy at Ibrox. It’s a nostalgic stadium and full of history," he told Rangers TV.

“I’m really happy and excited when I think of the moment of going out in front of 51,000 fans, and however many will be outside too. Everyone was talking about it. Even the guys who were here in the past, John Lundstram and Kieran Dowell, who I played with last year, all said you’ll never experience something like it.

“They said it’s one of the biggest clubs that you can sign for, and that’s why I didn’t have much thinking to do. When I knew it was really serious and it could be done, it was the first thing I did. I wanted to hear their thoughts and experiences about everything.

“But everything they said just made me more sure it’s what I want to do. I even spoke to Antonio Colak, who was here. I played alongside him for Croatia, and like everyone, he was full of praise for the club and the people, which I can already feel.

“Everyone inside the club who I have met has been such a lovely person, and you can feel this energy of goodness. It’s a brilliant feeling to be here. It fills me with pride, and it’s an honour to be part of such a massive club.

“Whoever I spoke to about the club only told me good things, and no-one said a single thing wrong. I have worked all my career for this moment to be here, and I’m really excited and ready to go."

Pandur has also explained how he came close to joining the Scottish outfit while he was still with Fortuna Sittard, prior to his move to the MKM Stadium.

“I started talking [to Rangers] maybe four years ago when I was still in Holland, but it wasn’t the right moment," the 26-year-old continued.

“Eventually, I left and went to England, played there, and now this summer we made a deal in a couple of days because there was interest from both sides.

“Even just walking around the streets and seeing everything, you can see how much people live for this club and how much it means to them. It brings the best out of everyone. I’m truly happy with everything - the training, the team, the staff.

“I want to challenge for titles. All of my career I have wanted to be part of a club that fights for trophies, and I feel like this is the perfect time to do it. I have a lot of experience behind me, and I’m ready to give everything for this club.”

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