The 19 year old Finnish defender JUKKA SANTALA has put pen to paper for a 4 month loan deal from Rangers. The still young Defender speaks of his exitiement at starting at a new club and hoping to get valuabe experience. And he also comments on how flexible he is as he can play up front or in defence.
"I am very much looking forward to it. Alex McLeish first mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago, and although my main aim is to play first team football in the SPL, I am delighted to get the chance to pick up some much needed experience. It is all well and good playing in the reserve league but it is much better to play first team football, and I hope that Thistle will give me that chance. At 19 years old it is very hard with no experience to get into the Rangers first team so I see this as a great chance to learn a lot about Scottish football.
I watched the game on Saturday and I thought that we kept the ball very well but perhaps the opposition did not press too hard and were only interested in defending. So I hope that I can help the team get off to a good start to the league season.
I am primarily a defender but I can also play up front. I scored two goals for Helsinki one as a defender and one as a striker, and although I see myself as mainly a defender, I don't mind playing as a striker and it is good to change the way you play every now and then. I have met the rest of the squad for the first time and they seem a nice bunch of guys. Now I just want Saturday to come around and get on with the job in hand."
Dick Campbell was delighted to get his man
"He is an International player and is well thought of by many at Ibrox and beyond. He has played Champions League for Helsinki so he has accomplished a lot in a short period of time. However he is keen to play first team football for Rangers and in order to do that I am delighted that he will be spending some time with us here at Firhill. It is a big thanks to Alex McLeish for allowing him to come here, especially as there were quite a few sides after him, in a way it is a compliment to this club that he has allowed him to come to us over probably bigger options.
What he does do is give us greater options both in defence and up front and although I see him primarily as a defender, either left or right sided, he can also give us options in a striking position too. One thing he will definitely do is offer a threat at set pieces both in a defending and an attacking sense. I haven't yet decided whether he will play on Saturday or to give him a week to settle in but he will be an important player for us in the coming few months."
This addition has helped makeup for the fact that JAmes Grady who the Jags were hoping to sign has gone to our main rivals for the season Gretna. This adds t the stregnth of Gretnas attaking force so its probibaly a good thing that we've got the goliath Santala at 6 foot 4 to keep the pint sixed Grady at bay.