Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller react as Van Bronckhorst is appointed Rangers manager

Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller have backed Giovanni van Bronckhorst to succeed at Rangers, but are in agreement that there will be immediate pressure on the Dutchman to defend the club’s Scottish Premiership title.

Steven Gerrard stepped down as Rangers manager to take over the reins at Aston Villa last week, earning widespread praise for his 12-month spell at Ibrox.

The former England and Liverpool captain steered the Glasgow giants to a first league crown in a decade last term and left with the team two points clear of bitter rivals Celtic at the top of the table.

In a short statement on his Instagram page, Van Bronckhorst – who is set to be in the dugout for Rangers’ Europa League clash with Sparta Prague – said he was raring to get started with the job.

The ex-Arsenal, Barcelona and Netherlands left-back will succeed Gerrard subject to a work permit.

‘I am very excited and proud to be returning to Rangers as the club’s new manager,’ Van Bronckhorst, who was with Rangers as a player from 1998 to 2001, told his followers.

‘I can’t wait to meet you all.’

Former Rangers striker Boyd feels Van Bronckhorst has inherited a Rangers squad in a ‘very health position’, with the side facing Hibernian for a place in the Scottish League Cup final this weekend.

‘It’s been going on for a few days and you can understand why the club have taken their time to go through the process because this appointment had to be the right one for the football club,’ Boyd told Sky Sports.

‘I think Steven Gerrard did an excellent job and left the squad in a very healthy position, obviously four points clear at the top of the table, a semi-final at the weekend and a chance of going through in the Europa League as well.

‘It’s not very often a manager leaves a club in such a good place, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst is coming to Ibrox with a good squad and will be expected to challenge in every cup competition and win the league as well.’

Boyd is confident Van Bronckhorst’s coaching philosophy is a good fit for Rangers, but hopes the Dutchman prioritises winning football matches over playing style.

‘There’s only one thing that matters at Rangers and that’s winning games of football,’ he added.

‘If you can do that in style it is good, but the most it’s the most important thing.’

‘Van Bronckhorst understands what the fans want and that’s just to win games of football. Yes, if you do it in style it’s an extra bonus.

‘I’ve seen Giovanni and when I was doing my coaching badges I went over the Feyenoord for four or five days. He’s a coach that wants to get out there on the pitch, making players better, he thrives off that.

‘That’s really important because there’s a lot of talented football players in this Rangers squad and if you get them firing on all cylinders then Rangers can be a threat.

‘I think they’ve shown in recent times that they’re more than capable of winning games of football in Scotland and on their travels abroad.

‘It’s an exciting time for Rangers and with Giovanni coming in here as well, because of the way he wants to play and the style he wants to play, I think that’s really important.

‘The appointment fits the players that are already here so there’s not a big upheaval and he’ll be ready to hit the ground running when he comes through the door which you’d imagine is going to be next week because of the work permit.’

Asked what Van Bronckhorst’s targets should be this season, Boyd replied: ‘Every manager that takes charge of this massive football club, first and foremost, you need to win the league.

‘That’s the be-all and end-all, especially with what’s at stake this season. The league winners will be straight in the Champions League for next season, the finances are crucial to any team in Scotland going forward.

‘Rangers have got themselves in a good place.’

Former Rangers and Scotland forward Miller reckons the job is a huge opportunity for Van Bronckhorst, with automatic Champions League qualification up for grabs this season.

‘He was a wonderful player who represented some massive football clubs,’ he told Sky Sports.

As a coach he’s learned his trade initially as an assistant and then took over at Feyenoord and had success, immediate success as well with a league and a cup.

He’s been honing his skills, trying to learn different things and he probably feels now is the right time to step into this role.

He suggested that with his comments with a wonderful squad who are in a really good place at the moment.

Yes, they maybe have not been firing like we’ve seen them over the last 18 months or so, but it’s a squad in a really good place with some huge games coming up starting with the semi-final on Sunday.

On Van Bronckhorst’s main objectives, Miller added: ‘Retaining the league, winning a cup and making progress in Europe. It’s been made the last three-and-a-half years, there’s been some really good exciting journeys in Europe.

‘If the league is achieved then they will potentially be straight into the Champions League which would be another milestone achieved in the journey of Rangers going back to the top of Scottish football.

‘There’s a lot there still to be achieved, a lot of hard work to be done, but the main aim as always is to retain that league title.’

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