AFTER signing a new four-year deal with Rangers, Connor Goldson has given an interview to Rangers TV.

Here is what the 29-year-old had to say.

Congratulations! You are going to be a Rangers player until 2026, please give us your immediate reaction?

I’m really happy. Obviously, I’ve been here for a long time. I’ve been here for four years and everybody knows I had a decision to make and I went away with my family over the last week and we made that decision which was to stay here. We’re all settled here, my family is settled here and football-wise I’m happy. I thought this was the right decision to make and I’m really happy to have made it.

The way last season finished, reaching the Europa League final and winning the Scottish Cup, how much did that influence your decision?

Yeah, it obviously did because it was such a memorable week in my own career and the football club but at the same time, it wasn’t that. I’ve got used to winning games most weeks and I love that feeling. I want to keep on winning, I want to keep on trying to take this football club to the next level. I said last year that I want to stay and try and win 56 and 57 and that was a massive part of me committing to the football club. I spoke to Ross [Wilson] and I spoke to the manager yesterday and said we wanted to do it. We were happy to go ahead but like I said I want to stay here and try and win, that’s the main reason for me staying.

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The way the season ended with the number of fans who made it over to Seville, did that highlight the size and power of this football club?

Yeah, but I think I knew it anyway over the four years I’ve been here. They’ve always been exactly the same from the first year to that at the end of it but I really thought it was the right decision. Once I had that in my mind I didn’t veer away from it. The end of the season was literally a high and a low and I’m sure there will be many more of both of them over the next four years but if we can keep on winning, the highs are so special at this football club. As we’ve seen over the last two years when we create memories like that, that’s a massive thing and why I’ve committed to carrying on this journey.

The manager views how important your role is both on and off the park. How important do you take that as you’re such a consistent part of the team on the park but also one of those senior leaders in the dressing room?

Yeah, I spoke to him last night when it all got agreed and he said exactly the same to me. Again, it was another reason both me and my wife spoke about on holiday, being a leading figure in the changing room. I don’t think you can take that for granted and did I want to leave and start all over again? That was a decision I had to make but I enjoy that role, I’m used to it now. I’ve been here a long time and I’m happy the boss thinks that way and I’m happy to help the team in whatever way I can.

You’re staying, Steven Davis has agreed to stay, Scott Arfield’s agreed to stay and there are so many guys like Tav who are going to be here as well. How important is it to have that core group who’s been here in the last few years and have really driven the club forward?

Yeah, I think it’s needed. Especially the more experienced ones and the leaders just to make sure the standards are right every single day, not just on a matchday but every day at this football club. It’s what’s demanded of you and I think that’s necessary in the football club to have those kinds of figures around the place. Now we need to kick on, obviously, we lost the league this year and we need to try and win it back next year.

The Champions League qualifiers are just around the corner, is that the next stage for the club, to reach that top-level?

100%, as we talked about the highs and lows earlier, that was a massive low of the Europa League final. We knew we missed out twice. We knew if we won the league we had Champions League and we knew if we won that we’d have Champions League so it was a double blow but we’ve still got another chance of getting there. Then we need to go and win, we need to win games of football next year. We’ve seen what the cups mean now that we’ve won one, we’ve won the league and seen what that means to the fans so we need to go and win as much as possible. Over the next four years hopefully, there will be many more memorable nights ahead.

John Souttar is coming in and Leon King is starting to break through I guess you’ll be giving as much as you can to them?

John Souttar looks really good, I was impressed with him in the cup final, I thought he played really well. I’m looking forward to seeing him when we get back and seeing what his qualities are. Obviously, he’s done well when he’s played against us but it’ll be good to see him day in, day out. You don’t realise how good players are until you see them on a day-to-day basis. Leon, the same, I think he’s stepped up this year, he’s really progressed and become a man which I think was important for him at such a young age. Now, he’s got those first bits of first-team experience that he should be really looking to kick on this year.

READ MORE: Ross Wilson details Rangers' journey of 'respect' that led to shock Connor Goldson deal

Is that the message across the club that it is exciting times?

I really do hope so. It is an exciting time for this football club, I think the last two years we’ve really shown what we’re capable of but, as I’ve said before, we need to go now and replicate that on a year-on-year basis. I think with the group of players we’ve got at the moment, there’s no reason why we can’t and that’s the reason why I’ve ended up staying. I want to stay here and win and I want to stay here and literally win as many pieces of silverware as I can.

How big an influence was the manager on your decision to stay?

Yeah, definitely, I had good conversations with him. During the season, to be fair to him, he was really good with me and he left me alone to make that decision. Even when we won the cup he said to me he was desperate for me to stay but he’ll let the decision be made by me and my family which I respected for him to give me that time and have that patience with me. But, he’s come in and done brilliantly. You look at our run in the Europa League and what we experienced as a club. No one will be able to take that away from us but, as we both said on the phone last night, from June 27th it’s time to kick on and try to go to the next level.