Every word that the interim boss had to say in his first press conference as Rangers manager.

When did you find out the news?

Sunday evening. I was just at home. Obviously, it came out of the blue. It wasn’t a call that I was expecting. Things moved very fast and I came in on Monday morning and I started to work.

Who told you?

It was James Bisgrove and Craig Robertson that I received the phone call from. Obviously it was a bit of a whirlwind after that. I got off the phone and I had a few conversations but my decision was made very quickly. I was honoured by the fact the board had that conversation and my name came up and they put their trust in me to try and do this job. I’m going to give it my all to try and be successful.

How will your approach as a manager differ?

Listen, I think for us we just want to give the boys the freedom to go out and play to their strengths really.  This is not a position we want to be in at this minute in time. But if you take the Europa League on its own we had a very positive result against Betis. It’s about us trying to continue that and if we get a result out here that will put us in a really strong position. There will be minor tweaks but the fortunate thing is I’ve been around the boys, I’ve played with a lot of the players, and I know their strengths and I want to give them the platform to show what they can do.

Do you want the job long-term?

Listen there’s not been any conversation in terms of a time frame. It all happened very quickly. I was asked to come in and take the game tonight. How things play out after that I’m not too sure. Regarding my feelings around it, I’ve obviously got ambitions. I did not quite expect it to happen quite as soon. I’m just determined to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given and we will see what develops from there.

How will things change moving from teammate to manager?

I don’t see there being any issues. I’ve got a lot of respect for everybody in that dressing room and I think that’s reciprocated. I think ultimately we all want the same thing — we want to be successful and win games of football on a consistent basis. That’s what our focus is on.

You were at the Ryder Cup the day before?

It was a couple of different extremes, isn’t it? It was nice to get out there for a day.

How can you rebuild confidence after Saturday?

Listen, there’s a lot of character within the dressing room. There’s a lot of leaders in there as well. Everyone knows it’s time to step up. The great thing about football is you get another opportunity to turn things around. It’s not a position we want to be in. Everybody is hurting from it. The main focus is first and foremost getting a result on Thursday and building on it from there. We won our opening group game. We are in a strong position and we want to build on that.

Can you provide an injury update?

Nico has travelled and also Kemar Roofe. Unfortunately, Jacko did not make it but those two will be available to play providing everything goes well in training tonight.

Have you had a chat with Michael Beale?

I spoke to him on Sunday night. The conversation will remain relatively private but I wanted to thank him personally. The way he dealt with me with my injury and the tough time I’ve been going through over the last nine months, him and the staff were excellent in all the support they gave me. It wasn’t a position I wanted to see but we had a brief conversation and we wished me all the best.

How do you look at Aris as an opponent?

They are an athletic side and they like to get runners in behind and play forward quickly. We will have to get the balance right in terms of how we approach the game. It’s been a really intense couple of days, trying getting to get as much footage and pick up how they play, although they have changed systems three times in their last five games. But their principles remain the same. Hopefully, we have done a good job and the boys are well-prepared for the game.

Do you see this as a big career risk?

I just thought it was too good an opportunity for me to turn down. I’ve got a great affinity with the club and when I got offered the chance to lead the team for one game, two games or whatever it may be, I wanted to help out in any way that I could. We are all together in trying to get results and trying to get back to where we want to be.

How will the weather impact things?

I don’t think so. Being out there tonight it doesn’t feel as warm as I expect it to be. All our players have played in hot conditions before so I don’t see it being a problem.

How's your own rehab?

I was continuing my rehab up to the last few days. It hasn’t been plain sailing but I’m starting to feel I’m getting back to a better place. The knee in general feels good which is the most important thing.

Have you reached out to any other coaches?

I’ve got the experience of Alex Rae in beside me and Colin Stewart and Steven Smith and Brian. I’ve had a lot of messages from managers I’ve worked under. Unfortunately, I’ve not had a chance to respond because it’s been quite intense preparing for this game. I appreciate the support I’ve been given but I haven’t had the chance to reach out to anyone or felt the need to just yet.