'Rangers? I don't know': Striker's post-match comments say it all as Ibrox dream fulfilled for 24y/o

The 24-year-old striker returned to Glasgow for the first time since departing Celtic for the Belgian Pro League side last summer, and was front and centre of the action against his former foes, as Russell Martin’s Rangers side opened their Europa League campaign with a dismal home defeat that left fans calling for his dismissal once again.

Spurning a number of gilt-edged chances either side of the break, Oh had a first-half penalty saved before he finally bagged the game's only goal in the 55th minute, eventually coming out on top in his ding-dong battle with Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland. The South Korean thought he’d bagged a second too when he tapped home from close range, only for VAR to rule his strike as offside late in the game.

“I should have scored maybe three or four,” admitted the Genk striker in the aftermath of the clash. “But I scored one and we won the game, so I am happy. I had 45 minutes to score after missing the penalty. I kept believing in myself and that I could score, and I did it. Next game, I’ll try to score more.”

Heading into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Hibs in the Premier Sports cup, Rangers boss Martin had hoped to secure back-to-back victories for the first time in his Ibrox reign and release some of the pressure on his shoulders. However, when Mohamed Diomande was deservedly shown a red card on the cusp of half-time for a dangerous tackle on Genk wing-back Zakaria El Ouahdli, hope of another victory quickly dissipated.

The game’s winning goal came shortly after the break when Oh latched on to a neat through ball from Jarne Steuckers to finish well beyond Butland, before celebrating by whipping his shirt off in front of the 650 travelling De Smurfen fans. It was a moment the forward fully enjoyed, admitting he had long dreamed of bagging the winning goal against the Light Blues.

“It’s nice to be back in Glasgow,” said Oh. “I miss the weather and the culture sometimes. It is something special for me to play at Ibrox. I wanted to score so much. This is one of my dreams, to score at Ibrox - and I did , so I’m happy. I believe in myself. This is my job, and this is what I do.”

Asked what he made of Rangers’ performance and the speculation surrounding their head coach, Oh preferred to concentrate on his own side’s success, claiming their preparation and the hard work they put in during training this week were the key to the result. “Rangers? I don’t know,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll work hard and keep going. We prepared very well for the game this week. We believe in ourselves as a team and our process. We did well, and I’m very happy to have won.”

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