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Marvin Andrews Thread.

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Tallman:
WATCH: Marvin Andrews - Rangers, 'Keep Believing', Helicopter Sunday, and World Cup 2006.

In Episode 2, the big centre half talks through his rollercoaster time with Rangers where he had to prove doubters he was good enough to be there, overcome a ligament injury through faith healing and restore the faith of his fans' and teammates that they could still win

https://www.youtube.com/v/biYWjmantXQ

Tallman:
'Cult hero' Marvin Andrews pleased to play his part for the Rangers Legends line-up
By Christopher Jack (The Herald)

IF there was a Cult Hero XI at Ibrox, Marvin Andrews would be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

It is the Rangers Legends side that the former Light Blues defender turns out for these days. He is reluctant to use the term or put himself in that esteemed company, though.

Three years after playing his final professional game as Clyde faced Queen’s Park in a play-off tie at Hampden, Andrews is still regularly pulling on his boots. But there are no points at stake, no trophies to be won or medals collected.

Instead, he helps to raise money for those less fortunate, to raise awareness for good causes across the country, as new memories are made with star names from years gone by.

Andrews is a familiar face to a support that took him to their hearts during his short but successful Ibrox career. To this day, those same fans still turn out in their numbers to see former Gers heroes in action.

“One of my friends, Charlie Miller, is involved in these games a lot and his friend is the one that arranges the matches,” Andrews said.

“At the same time, they are involved in helping with food banks so that people can get a meal at night and there are a lot of charities and good causes that benefit.

“You get guys that have the chance to meet and play with players that they have only seen on TV and they are like ‘I can’t believe I am on the pitch with Marvin Andrews or Charlie Miller’. There are Celtic guys that play as well and it is all in good spirits and for a good cause, which is the most important thing.

“I enjoy every minute of it and I am pleased to give something back.

“I am a footballer, but if I can use my talent to help someone who is less fortunate or raise money for a good cause, then that is great.

“Everyone has a different walk through life and they may need help with food or clothes or housing, whatever the case may be. There are so many charities that benefit and I am always willing to play and to help.”

Andrews may only have spent two seasons at Rangers but his place in Ibrox folklore is forever enshrined.

It was he, of course, who kept believing as Alex McLeish’s side won the title in 2005 and the defender became as renowned for his faith as his football as he battled back from a knee injury to play his part in a memorable title triumph.

The 43-year-old is now a regular feature on squad lists and at supporters functions. He won’t overstate his place amongst the finest names to pull on the famous jersey, however.

“I would call myself more of a cult hero than a legend,” Andrews said.

“Some of the players that played here are incredible, the things that they achieved for Rangers Football Club, are incredible.

“ I don’t really see myself in the same category as these guys. Maybe I am a cult hero because of Helicopter Sunday. I can wear that tag.

“But when it comes to a legend, it takes great things and great achievements to be considered a legend at a club like Rangers.

“I only played here for two years but I know Helicopter Sunday will go down as a one of the great days for the club. I am so happy and so humbled to be part of that history.

“The word legend, you can’t just throw that around here. some people may think that I am, but I am just so humble and happy to have played for such a wonderful football club.

“And to have achieved great things with Rangers in terms of winning a couple of trophies and to give the fans one of the greatest days of their lives. I am happy with the cult hero status.”

A place in the Rangers Legends squad has given Andrews a chance to be reunited with former team-mates or make new friends.

He is a well kent face at these events now. Wherever and whenever, he is happy to play his part both on and off the park.

Andrews said: “You definitely get a few aches after them these days! You feel old very quickly.

“But it is a good ache and a good pain when you are part of it. when you are retired and you are not as active as you were when you are a professional, it takes you longer to recovery from them.

“I try to keep myself fit and I do a bit of running to make sure I am able to play in these games.

“I was at Cheltenham last week with Gordon Smith and we went to the racing before a charity game at night for the Injured Jockeys Fund. Me and Gordon took part in that. I love doing these things.

“It was to help jockeys that are no longer able to ride but they need a bit of help or assistance financially and I was delighted to be part of that. The main sponsors were 32Red and Unibet and they asked us to come down. We had a really good time and I always want to be available as often as I can. I want to play and take part.

“When you play these games, it is all good banter and a good laugh. I have never played with some of the players but I have heard about their great achievements with Rangers.

“So it is nice hear the stories from when they used to play and to be on the same pitch as them.

“It is all great fun. As a former player, you really miss that dressing room banter and that camaraderie.”

Tallman:
Marvin Andrews makes shock Rangers admission as he reveals his Ibrox leap of faith at 'meeting with God'
By Gabriel McKay (Scottish Daily Record)

Marvin Andrews has revealed he waived insurance while playing for Rangers, putting faith in God to keep him fit.

The centre-back joined the Gers in 2004 after leaving Livingston, and was named Players' Player of the Year in his first season.

That came despite a cruciate ligament injury suffered in March as a nail-biting title race entered its final stages.

Andrews famously refused to have surgery and instead played through the injury, putting his faith in God to heal him.

And the former Trinidad and Tobago international has revealed he did so without insurance, after being told to sign a waiver by the club.

He went on to play for another 10 years after leaving Ibrox in 2006, but had he required surgery he'd have had to foot the bill himself.

Andrews said on the Football Daft podcast : "Everybody had their opinion, people who damaged their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) came out in the papers, they showed me ex-players, they even showed me Ian Durrant pictures when he damaged his knee at Aberdeen.

“All these ex-players whose careers were ended because of the same ACL.

“So, I tell them ‘no, God will heal my knee’.

“Then we had a big meeting at Murray Park, you had David Murray, all his staff, all the doctors, all the physios in the room - all of them on one side, and me and God sitting on the other side.

“So, me and God showed up in the meeting.

“They said to me ‘Marv, we respect your faith, we respect your belief in God, but we need to do what is best for Rangers Football Club. We just wanted to let you know that based on you rejecting our advice from the medical standpoint, we’d like to give you a disclaimer that you sign so that you take full responsibility if anything goes wrong with your knee from here on out’.

“So that if I damaged my knee or my knee collapsed in training or wherever, I cannot sue Rangers or cannot make the club pay for my decision.

“So, I signed the disclaimer, my faith believing that. And all that time, my knee was massive - the size of my knee was unbelievable.

“But the faith that I had in God, I said ‘no problem, I will trust God that God will look after me’.

“So, I signed the disclaimer, I took full responsibility, if anything happened to me, it’s my full responsibility.

“A lot of people don’t know - those times when I was playing for Rangers, I wasn’t under insurance from Rangers Football Club, my insurance was God. And a lot of people didn’t know that.”

Tallman:
Marvin Andrews: Defence is a good foundation
By Louise Shaw (rangers.co.uk)

MARVIN ANDREWS hopes Rangers’ strong defensive start to the season can give them a good foundation to build on this campaign.

It has been an impressive start for Steven Gerrard’s men who have conceded only three goals in their opening 12 league matches - with 14 clean sheets in 17 games across all competitions.

The former centre-half, who lifted a League and League Cup double while at Ibrox, says clean sheets can help build courage and confidence within the squad.

He told rangers.co.uk: “I think it is fantastic, you need a good defence if you want to go on and be successful. You need to have a good defence in any team and to have clean sheets is very important.

“As a former centre half myself I know it gives momentum, it builds courage and confidence when you have clean sheets.

“When playing with a team of Rangers stature the more clean sheets you have the greater chance you have of winning the game because of the type of attacking players Rangers have.

“You have to perform if you want to play and that is really good to have that competitive edge in the group.

No centre-half, no defender and no player can take their position for granted and that is a very good thing that Steven Gerrard has done.”

Andrews feels Rangers are now seeing the best of Connor Goldson, and is impressed with his partnership with Filip Helander.

He continued: “This is Connor’s third season and he has done really well. He knows what it means to play at the club now and it is really really good.

“It has maybe taken a bit of time to get into the groove and show what he is really capable of and I am sure that is why Steven Gerrard bought him in the first place because he knew this is what he can offer the club and what he can do for the team.

“You always need to have good partnerships whether that is in attacking, midfield or defence.

“It is very important and the two of them have developed a really good partnership.

“Helander is left-footed and Goldson is right-footed so it is really good that they can settle in with each other, they have good communication and it is showing.

When you don't lose goals and you play with the squad here you always believe that you can score. When teams come up against you and they realise that you are not losing goals and it is hard to score against you right away you have a little edge.

“It is very important and it is the foundation for moving forward.”

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