'It's my aim': John Lundstram names one Rangers achievement he is desperate to replicate in Turkey
01/09/2025 02:00 AM
It is fair to say that John Lundstram has not quite enjoyed the same success at Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor as he did in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers.
The experienced midfielder left Ibrox as a Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup winner – not to mention a Europa League finalists – but Lundstram now finds himself battling relegation on the banks of the Black Sea six months after his Rangers contract expired.
Trabzonspor, having already sacked the manager who brought John Lundstram and ex-Gers teammate Borna Barisic to Turkey in the first place, sat just three points above the relegation zone ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Alanyaspor.
At least, while Barisic’s time in Turkey has largely been a disaster, Lundstram can point to his regular inclusion in Senol Gunes’ starting XI as consolation for what has developed into a very underwhelming debut campaign outside of the UK borders.
Barisic has played only five minutes of Super Lig football since October, reports claiming that the former Rangers left-back could return to Croatia this month. Lundstram, in contrast, has played the full 90 in eight of the last ten matches in which he has been available.
John Lundstram wants to replicate Rangers relationship in Turkey
Yet, the former Sheffield United and Everton man could hardly be considered a fans’ favourite. Given how poorly their team has performed, there are few Trabzonspor players particularly high up in the popularity stakes these days.
Lundstram is not giving up on establishing a warm connection between himself and the locals though. And he knows that, in order to do this, he will have to let his football do the talking.
Dragging Trabzonspor away from the Super Lig’s dreaded bottom four would certainly do wonders for Lundstram’s status.
“It’s my job to establish this relationship on the pitch. I have to perform well and, if I do, this will contribute to the team’s performance,” Lundstram tells the official Trabzonspor magazine.
“In order to develop this relationship even further, I have to always play well and, of course, show what I can do. My relationship with the fans at Rangers reached a great level. And it is my aim for the same to happen at Trabzonspor.
“I played in England and Scotland. I have come a long way in terms of experience. I think that experience also brings leadership.”
Those ‘leadership’ qualities could certainly come in handy at a club in rather alien territory. Trabzonspor won the Super Lig title as recently as 2022, and are used to challenging at the top end of the table rather than trudging around at the bottom.
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Lundstram highlights his proudest moment at Ibrox
Lundstram captained Oxford United to the EFL Trophy final at Wembley and helped Sheffield United secure a top-half Premier League finish south of the border.
By his own admission, however, the stand-out moment in Lundstram’s footballing life came not at the Kassam or at Bramall Lane but in the blue of Rangers.
“I've had two memorable moments in my career,” Lundstram adds. "The first was to score my first English Premier League goal against Crystal Palace for Sheffield United. It was a huge moment for me.
“Of course it was my dream to play in the Premier League when I was a kid. For that to happen, for my family to watch me there, was emotional.
"But the best moment in my career was when I scored the winning goal against RB Leipzig in the Europa League semi-final for Rangers. It's probably even better than the goal I scored in the Premier League.
"That night was a moment of destiny for everyone at Rangers Football Club, but being the player who scored the winning goal was also my most special moment. I'll never forget that moment."
