BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
GEDION ZELALEM has credited his stint with Rangers with toughening him up as the Arsenal kid embarks on another loan move.
The American international has joined VVV-Venlo in the second tier of Dutch football until the end of the season as he looks to win a second successive promotion.
The 20-year-old was part of the Gers side that romped to the Championship title last term, making 21 league appearances for Mark Warburton’s side and helping them reach the Scottish Cup final.
Zelalem failed to live up to the hype that surrounded his arrival at Ibrox, which included rave reviews from Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Nevertheless, he believes his spell in Scotland was pivotal to his development as he learned to cope with the physicality and pressure of a title chase north of the border.
The young midfielder, who has been linked with a summer move to Borussia Dortmund, told VVV-Venlo’s official YouTube channel: “That was tough football in Scotland.
“But it was a great experience to get promotion to the top division, and I want to achieve that again here.
“Rangers was similar to what I expect here. We had a lot of possession in every single game and there was always a pressure to win – an expectation that you should win every game.
“That is a positive for me. That is the pressure I like and the type of team I want to play in. I want to win every week and it was brilliant playing in front of the massive support Rangers have.”
