Rangers defender Connor Goldson has disclosed the primary rationale behind his choice to decline an unexpected international offer following the Ibrox club’s league title-winning 2020–21 campaign.
The 31-year-old turned down an invitation to play for the Jamaican national team, which he is eligible to play for thanks to his grandparents, when the Jamaican FA approached him about representing them.
However, the centre-back rejected the possible recognition due to intense club commitments with Rangers at the time and his distant affiliation with Jamaica.
Appearing as a guest on the Talking Transitions podcast, Goldson revealed: “I had the message a few years ago after we won the league. It was too hard, we play so many games here. Like, I was playing 60 games a season.
“Then, obviously, since I now have children, I will have to leave them behind while I play for Jamaica during international vacations. To be truthful, I don’t really have any family because both my dad’s side grandparents, my nan and grandpa, passed away before I was even born. I think I should let the experts handle it.
Goldson acknowledged that, despite winning the Premiership title at Ibrox and securing promotion to the English Premier League with Brighton, his Europa League runners-up medal will be the “highest” one he receives in his career. He played a crucial role in the Light Blues team that advanced to the Seville final two years ago.
He continued, “It was tough (losing the final),” thinking back on that incredible journey that saw them defeat teams like Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig along the way. In retrospect, I believe the silver medal to be the highest one I will ever receive. Imagine telling me six years ago, when I signed with Rangers, that I would play in the Europa League final. When I initially arrived, the team was not even close; they had lost in the first qualifying round the previous year to Progres (Niederkorn).
“After barely making it through qualification the first year to join the Europa League, we’re in the final three or four years later. Everything about it was simply surreal. The hardest thing to accomplish was probably not be able to turn off from it. I’m really relaxed the night before the game; my wife is the only one I really talk to, but we don’t really talk about the game the following day. I simply attempt to turn off.
“Instead, there was an SMS saying “good luck tomorrow, buddy,” about everybody you knew or ever knew, every five minutes. All of the Rangers supporters I’ve met text, so you feel under pressure. When we finally got to the game, both teams played terrible. I believe that during the final, both Frankfurt and we realized that this was our one and only chance to succeed. Nobody desired to go wrong.
“I continue to view the goal as my responsibility because I couldn’t touch it, I didn’t drop to the front post, or it was an own goal. I felt like I was held responsible for it, but in all honesty, the season and run we had to reach the championship will be the most memorable aspects of my time with the Rangers in the years to come.
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