INJURY prevented Vaclav Cerny from playing his part in Ajax’s glory run to the 2017 Europa League final.
That’s why he’s determined to savour every second of his first Euro adventure with Rangers.
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Still only 26, the Czech international winger has endured two season-ending injuries in a career he no longer takes for granted.
The first robbed him of a shot at Manchester United in Stockholm — a match Jose Mourinho’s men won 2-0.
The second saw him embark on a soul-searching return to fitness — one which has left him grateful for every moment spent on the pitch.
Cerny joined Rangers on a season-long loan from Wolfsburg in the summer.
And, having failed to reach the league phases of the Champions League this term, he is determined to help Philippe Clement’s men get off to a winning start in the Europa League.
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Rangers face Malmo on Thursday evening with Cerny using the big-match build-up to reflect on his own journey.
Looking back to that Ajax final seven years ago, the Gers star said: “That was the season I was coming back from injury, so at the end of the season I was not fit enough to play.
“For me, I was part of it but not how I wanted.
“It’s another experience but I’m more looking forward to this season.
“As a football player, you play for a club, you play for your team-mates, for your coaches, but when you’re injured for so long, all of a sudden you’re on your own.
“You have to find the mentality down deep to come through it, because we all have examples of players who don’t.
“Those are the things that tested me and you quickly realise what it means to play on these stages.
“It makes you enjoy it even more. It makes you want to savour every moment
“Literally, that’s why I’m the kind of player that I am now.
“I want to score every game, I want to be important every game, even though it’s not possible sometimes.
“I know that, but that’s the thing that brings me forward and what I want to give to this amazing club right now.”
Five years after Ajax made the final, Cerny watched Rangers do the same against Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.
The winger would love to help the club set off on another historic European run, but knows Clement’s men can’t look beyond their opening match against in-form Malmo.
The teams have met twice in the last 13 years — with the Swedes winning both ties.
So Cerny is well aware of the size of the task facing Rangers in the Eleda Stadion.
The Euro 2024 star added: “In terms of how far we can go, we will see about that.
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“The thing is, what we discussed and what we will do is to go step by step, focusing now on Thursday in Malmo. That’s all that matters.”
After missing out on the money-spinning league phase of the Champions League, Gers have fallen five points behind Celtic in the league.
On the back of a turbulent summer, it’s been a torrid start for the Ibrox outfit.
Yet the challenge of restoring Gers to former glories is one Cerny won’t shy away from. At the weekend he played his part in a much-improved 3-0 win over Dundee.
The victory has set up a Premier Sports Cup semi-final showdown against Motherwell next month — and a quickfire return to Hampden.
Now the Gers star is determined to build on the display against Dundee and help Gers get off the mark in Europe.
Cerny added: “It was a very good result at the weekend, a very important one. We look forward to the next game in the League Cup and now we can focus on Thursday. The players have reacted well.
“You always feel the pressure to perform, and that’s good.
“We know that, so we just keep on going, we just keep on working hard together and getting there step by step.
“How much did my time at Ajax help me handle things here? It is similar, so it’s good to know how it feels to be in a club that demands a lot.
“You need to play for trophies and you want that as a player, and we all realise that.
“It’s good to have everyone on board and to understand the things we want to achieve.
“Clubs like Ajax want to win titles every single year, and that’s more than normal.
“There is a constant pressure, but that’s a good thing.
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“We don’t have to make it bigger than it is, so it’s just up to us to focus.
“It sounds like a real cliche but it’s just going step by step and achieving those things.
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“I’ve been through a lot during my career. I had two big, big injuries so that forms how you are, your experiences from the previous clubs and also you personally.
“I’m enjoying myself on the pitch and I want to give this club back what they’ve given me. For me, it’s a clear thing that I want to pay back.”
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