Noah Chilvers feels transfer vindication as Rangers showdown follows Ross County gamble
For a man whose only previous serious career switch between clubs came at eight years old, Noah Chilvers is adapting well to his move to Scotland.
The Essex man’s only other permanent move came in primary school when he swapped Chelmsford City’s youth academy for Colchester United, a 40-minute flit down the A12. By comparison, Dingwall was a 10-hour, 600-mile drive into the unknown last summer. While the leap from League Two to Scotland’s Premiership seemed a gamble at the time, the 23-year-old hasn’t regretted it for a minute.
Having already carved a reputation as a creative threat from set pieces and spaces outside the penalty area, Chilvers insists there is more to come. But stepping out at Ibrox in front of 40-plus thousand fans today will be vindication enough for heading north. After more than 200 ganes for Colchester and 30 goals, Chilvers needed a new challenge – and it has been everything he hoped for.
He said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute playing in a new league and I’ve had a warm welcome from all of the boys, staff and fans. I’m enjoying my football, which is the main thing, and it’s reflecting in my performances.
“I had been a one-club man at Colchester so it’s been a big change for me. I couldn’t have moved much further to make that change, but I didn’t want to play it safe.
“And it has been a challenge at times – to settle in then to get back to doing what I know I can do as a player. I feel there’s more to come for sure – I’m starting to get to the levels I know I can play at. But I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can.”
Chilvers’ ability on the ball has shone and last time out against Rangers, in November, with the game still relatively tight, his tremendous strike at goal drew a wonder-save from Jack Butland. And after a 15-month wait for an away win, the Staggies head to Ibrox on a run of three league victories on the road.
Chilvers knows, though, that four defeats from four against the Old Firm this season, with 20 goals conceded underlines the challenge today. He said: “The strike at goal and Butland’s save seems a long time ago now – I can barely remember it!
“With respect, Rangers and Celtic are not the teams we’re competing with. We have five games next up against teams around us and within reach of us.
“A few good results in those can really change things because the league is so tight just now. We prepare for these games the same as we prepare for any other team and go in with the same mindset – we want to come away with three points.
“We obviously need to be solid and pick our moments as to when we can look to hurt them. Personally, I’ve not played at Ibrox before so I’m really excited.
“I’m never fearful of what I’m going to come up against. We know the quality Rangers have but it is about us trying to show the qualities we’ve got.”
