Derek McInnes hails ‘brilliant’ Ivor Pandur as unsung hero for Rangers

Along with centre-back Owelthu Makhanya, the 26-year-old Croatian goalkeeper has been the Light Blues’ most consistent player this season following his move from Hull City on a four-year deal in the summer.

Pandur has brought a sense of calm to the Gers defence, which was demonstrated again in the 1-0 Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen at Barclays Hampden last Saturday.

Ahead of the William Hill Premiership clash with St Mirren in Paisley tonight, an appreciative McInnes said: “I think he’s done so well.

“The fact I don’t really get asked a lot about Pandur, he’s just so quietly effective, and I think the players hold such a high regard for him and take confidence from him.

“There’s nothing worse — I’ve been there as a player when you’re not sure about your goalie and it affects a lot of what’s happening on the pitch. But when you know you’ve got a good one there, it sends out the exact opposite.

“The confidence that he sends throughout the team I think is clear, whether it’s dealing with things at his feet, in the air.

“His shot-stopping is unbelievable. I watch him in training – every shot has the same importance. He just wants to keep the ball out of his net and, for me, they’re the best types.

“He doesn’t try harder for one shot than he does the next one. Everything is ‘You’re not beating me’, I think he plays the game that way. He’s been brilliant.”

Rangers will face Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup final next month and McInnes stressed the positives of taking the penultimate step towards the first trophy of the season and of his career as Gers boss.

The former Rangers midfielder said: “It’s been really as you’d expect. I think you’ve got to take the good for the game.

“It’s not easy getting to a cup final, and the fact that we’re there now, you’ve got to try and be pleased with that.

“I think the whole club — I was at the Charity Foundation ball on Sunday — and everybody’s so excited about going to the cup final, and that’s where we should be.

“It should be the norm that we should be feeling that we’re turning up at cup finals and putting ourselves in a position.

“We’ll look forward to it when it comes around, but I think it’s important now that we just really focus on this game before we get into the break, because it can easily dissipate, all that excitement and optimism, on the back of the next result.

“That’s how fickle it is. You’ve got to stay on the job.”