Rangers hero Filip Helander confirms Aston Villa and Leicester City transfer interest

[AdiGaz]

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OLD FIRM hero Filip Helander has confirmed there was interest for him from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leicester City in the summer.
But he's delighted nothing came of it as he savoured his winner in the derby against Celtic on Sunday at Ibrox by calling it the most important goal of his career.


Helander is set to start for Sweden against Spain tomorrow night in a crunch World Cup qualifier and he's revealed that there were big clubs after him.
He said: "I know there was interest, but it was not much more than that. Nothing became concrete.
"But I feel good and have no stress that it didn't happen.
"I haven't always been in the team due to the number of games we have had and the injury I had. It's been a bit of both. I've still been feeling the injury and we have had a lot of matches.
"But of course, you always want to play as many games as possible.
"It was a lot of fun and cool to score the winning goal in such a big match. I rank it very high, it was perhaps my most important goal in my career.

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"So it was a great game to play in and I have never experienced such an atmosphere around a stadium like then. I could not hear properly during the game.
"I heard the fans singing my song, but it's been quite a while since I sang any Abba songs myself and I may not have been completely sober when I did it!"

40 million.

 

[sandbankbear]

He is a great big defender.

 

[Russell]

The big man is our must consistent defender. Delighted to see him score the winner.

 

[GF1]

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OLD FIRM hero Filip Helander has confirmed there was interest for him from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leicester City in the summer.
But he's delighted nothing came of it as he savoured his winner in the derby against Celtic on Sunday at Ibrox by calling it the most important goal of his career.


Helander is set to start for Sweden against Spain tomorrow night in a crunch World Cup qualifier and he's revealed that there were big clubs after him.
He said: "I know there was interest, but it was not much more than that. Nothing became concrete.
"But I feel good and have no stress that it didn't happen.
"I haven't always been in the team due to the number of games we have had and the injury I had. It's been a bit of both. I've still been feeling the injury and we have had a lot of matches.
"But of course, you always want to play as many games as possible.
"It was a lot of fun and cool to score the winning goal in such a big match. I rank it very high, it was perhaps my most important goal in my career.

---

"So it was a great game to play in and I have never experienced such an atmosphere around a stadium like then. I could not hear properly during the game.
"I heard the fans singing my song, but it's been quite a while since I sang any Abba songs myself and I may not have been completely sober when I did it!"

He is another foreigner who gets it.

I am liking him more and more.

 

[RfcIbrox]

His concentration levels are unmatched. He might give the ball away or allow someone in but it’s never because he has switched off or is in the wrong position. He’s a 95minute player.

He’s just a classic Swedish defender. Total concentration, does what defenders should marks well good in the air and great positional sense. I’m afraid leaving him out of Malmö game was a tactical error.

 

[ronadamus_prime]

He’s just a classic Swedish defender. Total concentration, does what defenders should marks well good in the air and great positional sense. I’m afraid leaving him out of Malmö game was a tactical error.

It was, a huge error. I understand the thought process behind it, we wanted aggression and urgency against Malmö at Ibrox. Which Balogun usually adds to the side but for whatever reason he just didn't have the concentration levels that night. I think we are incredibly lucky to have the 3 centre halves that we have tbh. They each bring something different to the table. Hopefully Simpson turns a corner this season and even more importantly learns from those around him.

 

[54easy1]

Verbal offer of 7.5m
We value him at around 12ish and were flexible on payment
They signed boy on 30 30 40 deal from Southampton

 

[Shota]

He’s just a classic Swedish defender. Total concentration, does what defenders should marks well good in the air and great positional sense. I’m afraid leaving him out of Malmö game was a tactical error.

Spot on, he’s very rarely caught out. Big thing for me is his ball retention, it goes unnoticed quite a lot. Any time the ball comes up his way he will either let it run behind him or he will pick a man out with his clearance.

 

[King Albertz]

Our best CB, will be surprised if we don’t receive some serious offers for him in the next year

Goldson is a better cb, without doubt. The fact he can play every game at very good standard puts him ahead.

Helander is a top defender, and they play well together, and has had some great performances, but not being able to play week in week out is difficult.

 

[Stuart pid]

On that point, one of these days someone is going to seriously injure themselves trying a knee slide. Hagi has failed to complete one twice now and had to somersault his way out of it.

The pile on gives me the fear too. When you have 2 or 3 players jumping on someone trying to stay on their feet it's going to end in injury some day.

 

[Hawftimepie]

Filip Helander is my favourite Rangers player. I wish he was fitter. The Swedish Davie Weir. An incredible defender. Paolo Maldini or some lady's front bottom, once said if you slide tackle you weren't standing in the right place. Thats ma Fil.

 

[Hawftimepie]

Goldson is a better cb, without doubt. The fact he can play every game at very good standard puts him ahead.

Helander is a top defender, and they play well together, and has had some great performances, but not being able to play week in week out is difficult.

If he was as fit as Goldson there's no question. He is an unbelievable defender.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

He's just brilliant. Love Big Fil. Love his song as well.

Read an article about him in the Athletic, all about how he managed to come through the ranks at Malmö. Came up around the same time as Pontus Jansson now of Brentford. Jansson was the flash modern day, ball playing defender and big Fil was the sturdy defend at all costs type. So they complimented each other massively.

His defensive positioning is impeccable. He reads the game so well. Knows when to leave it and when to get stuck in. Apparently his Dad used to teach Judo, so Fil's very good at using his body to get the upper hand on the opposition attackers. He's quite awkward looking, which I think adds to the myth that he's slow. He's definitely not the quickest at the club but when it comes to pure defensive capability, he's streets ahead of anyone else.

Goldson and him have built up a very good understanding in the last couple of years. I just wish he had the fitness to play as often as Connor does. Would be immense.

Awesome knowledge. Didn't know that bolded part but it actually makes sense!

Funnily enough, Robert Lewandowski's old man was a Polish Judo champion. Bobby has said in the past that practicing it was huge for his physical development.

 

[Arminius]

He's just brilliant. Love Big Fil. Love his song as well.

Read an article about him in the Athletic, all about how he managed to come through the ranks at Malmö. Came up around the same time as Pontus Jansson now of Brentford. Jansson was the flash modern day, ball playing defender and big Fil was the sturdy defend at all costs type. So they complimented each other massively.

His defensive positioning is impeccable. He reads the game so well. Knows when to leave it and when to get stuck in. Apparently his Dad used to teach Judo, so Fil's very good at using his body to get the upper hand on the opposition attackers. He's quite awkward looking, which I think adds to the myth that he's slow. He's definitely not the quickest at the club but when it comes to pure defensive capability, he's streets ahead of anyone else.

Goldson and him have built up a very good understanding in the last couple of years. I just wish he had the fitness to play as often as Connor does. Would be immense.

Me and the boys were talking about this just a couple of weeks ago.

We all agreed, Goldson / Helander is our best centre half oaring by a country mile.

He’s a top defender and it’s no surprise premiership clubs have their eyes on him.

 

[HandsomeHead]

I’d like to know exactly what ‘interest’ means.

Is this a casual approach to the player via his agent, or was it to the club?

We will have figures in mind for all our players that we’d be prepared to talk business at, so did Villa and Leicester enquire about Helander’s pricetag only to be put off?

Which is no bad thing, I just feel ‘interest’ must mean more than a passing admiration.