Rangers back in Champions League is one of BEST nights of my career, says Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Giovanni van Bronckhorst steered Rangers back to the Champions League for the first time in 12 years then hailed the achievement as one of the proudest nights of his career.

After a 2-2 draw in last week’s first leg in Glasgow, Rangers travelled to Holland and produced an outstanding performance to topple PSV Eindhoven.

A defensive blunder by PSV’s Andre Ramalho teed up Antonio Colak’s fifth goal for the club and a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

The first time Rangers have reached the group stage of Europe’s elite competition since 2010 it’s also the first time both Old Firm clubs have reached the same stage since 2007.

The Scottish Cup holders will go into Thursday’s draw facing the prospect of glamour ties against the likes of Real Madrid, Man City, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Co.

Plunged over a financial cliff-face in 2012, the Ibrox club fought their way through the lower leagues to reach last season’s Europa League final. And van Bronckhurst believes his players will complete the journey back when they step into the Champions League spotlight.

‘You know where the club comes from,’ he said.

‘Ten years ago we were at the lowest part of our history. It took really hard work to build the club back again to a level we achieved now.

‘It’s a proud moment for me to give this to all the people who used so much energy building this club up again.

‘Of course there were dark moments. But it’s a great metaphor to have the dark moments then step into the spotlight of the biggest competition in the world.

‘It is going to be a great challenge for my team and everyone at this club to prepare the team well and to hear the Champions League song again this season.

‘It’s a very proud moment because I know what it means for the club and everyone involved and the club to be playing at the highest level in Europe.

‘To be playing with the best teams is a proud moment for all of us.

‘For me I played many games as a player and coached my team Feyenoord in the Champions League and to experience it with Rangers as well is a very proud moment.’

Forced to axe wayward striker Alfredo Morelos from his 23-man squad, preparations for the game were disrupted further by pyrotechnics delaying the journey of the Rangers coach to the stadium.

A Champions League and World Cup winner as a player van Bronckhurst described taking Rangers into the Champions League as a huge landmark in his career.

‘It comes really close to being the best moment,’ he added.

‘It’s a proud moment for me to give this to all the people who used so much energy building this club up again.

‘Seville was a proud moment for us to compete for the second European cup in our history and today we have the same moment to be in the draw for the Champions League and compete with the best teams in Europe.’

The only goal of the game came from superb pressing by Malik Tillman, the Bayern loan star feeding Colak for the winner

‘We pressed them very well,’ he said.

‘It was difficult for us to find the right moments. At times we sensed we could win the ball high up the pitch and the goal came from the perfect opportunity for us.

‘Malik showed great composure throughout the game and in that moment. We saw Antonio scream for the tap-in and it was a great goal for us to score.’