ROBIN PROPPER hopes his Athens adventure is a turning point in his Rangers career.
The Dutch defender has toiled since moving to Ibrox from Twente in the summer.
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But he shone in last week’s Europa League 1-1 draw at Olympiacos.
Propper said: “I keep on focusing on what I do well and I try to learn from the mistakes I make.
“You saw the game against Olympiacos was much better.
“Last week was a good game, so I’m really confident for the next matches.”
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Propper admitted he needed to be educated on how to make the grade at Rangers.
The Dutch defender enrolled in an online crash course, studying videos of team-mates John Souttar and Leon Balogun.
After a tricky start to life in Glasgow, Propper believes he has at last learned what it takes to play for Gers.
The stopper, 31, delivered a gutsy display against Olympiacos in Greece last week, and helped Philippe Clement’s side bank a precious Europa League point.
It was a hugely improved performance from the one he put in at home to St Mirren in the Premiership on his previous start.
Propper said: “Yes, of course, I needed time to adjust to things. In the beginning, it’s a different kind of football.
“Sometimes it’s nice that they can show something else. That’s what I learned in Dutch football.
“At times you need to adjust in the right moments. My last game at Ibrox before Hearts wasn’t my best. I know that.
“I keep on focusing on what I do well and I try to learn from the mistakes. You saw the game against Olympiacos was much better.
“In Holland, it’s sometimes the same in terms of physicality. Of course, in every kind of football, when you do well you need to get physical sometimes. I can do that as well.
“It’s small details where I need to learn and adjust really fast to stay on top of it.
“The manager helps me with that. The staff really help me with that too.
“I watch clips of myself, of John Souttar and Leon Balogun as well to make it easier for me. I hope I get the time to learn things and to adjust.
“I know I cannot be the best in every game, but I try to learn and I try to do my best.
“Last week was a good game, so I’m really confident for the next matches.”
Propper joined Gers from Twente in the summer.
He gave up the captaincy at the Dutch outfit to chase his dream of playing abroad. Yet the start he endured was the stuff of nightmares.
Injured against St Johnstone in the Premier Sports Cup, he’s been part of a Gers side that’s fallen nine points behind league leaders Celtic and Aberdeen.
He watched, too, as Champions League football slipped through Rangers’ fingers on a torrid night against Dynamo Kyiv.
Yet there were signs against Olympiacos last week that Propper is at last making progress.
He added: “From the beginning I was enjoying it and it’s really nice to be here.
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“Of course, Rangers is such a big team and I’m so glad I play for this club. I felt that at the first moment when I came here.
“If you win and you get results, then it’s much easier to settle in.
“I hope we can move on with the kind of result we got in Greece.”
Against Olympiacos, Clement axed skipper James Tavernier.
It was the first time in almost TEN YEARS that the full-back had been dropped for a meaningful match.
Souttar and Propper combined well in Athens, before the latter was back on the bench for the weekend win over Hearts.
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And the centre-half praised the character shown by Souttar this season, insisting he’ll have a big part to play for Scotland in the Nations League double-header against Croatia and Poland.
Propper said: “John is really good and very important for us. He shows great character on the field and off it. We need that kind of player in the team.
“We can learn from that and I can learn from John as well.”
While Gers have struggled domestically, they continue to fly the flag impressively for Scotland in Europe.
The draw in Athens has moved them on to seven points for the campaign — with a tough trip to Nice up next.
The Olympiacos result also meant Clement became the first manager ever to go undefeated in his first six European away games with any Scottish club.
After sharing the spoils against Sparta, Gers secured an impressive win over Real Betis.
Two further draws against Benfica and Kyiv followed before that historic victory over Malmo in Sweden.
Last week they once again stood strong, handling the heat of the Greek cauldron.
Propper added: “I believe it was a really good point. We were solid in Athens.
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“In defence we were very good. Olympiacos didn’t have many chances against us, and on the whole the team did really well.
“You know the stadium is really crowded and on top of you and you want to turn the fans against the team.
“If you have patience and you can keep doing the right things, then you feel the crowd get noisy and irritated.
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“If you saw the way we played against a really good team, especially away, then you see something is happening.
“We have a really good team. Of course, in some games we cannot be the best. Then you need to fight and keep on going — and we have a team that can do that.”
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