I knew Mark Warburton would be a winner for Rangers, says Bert Konterman

IT’S no surprise to Bert Konterman that Mark Warburton has already broken records as Rangers manager.

The Dutchman had an audience with the Ibrox boss just over a year ago at a UEFA Coaching course in Glasgow, and was blown away with his knowledge of the game and the precise manner in which he delivered his talk.

So when the Light Blues appointed Warburton and Davie Weir as their management team in June, Konterman was extremely confident his former club would be heading back into the Premiership.

Konterman told the Sunday Post: “I’m really pleased to see an improvement in different areas at Rangers. The right people appear to be in charge and they are moving in the right direction, taking small but important steps.

“On the park, Mark Warburton is proving himself to be a very good manager.

“I was in Scotland last season when he was manager of Brentford and he gave a presentation to a group of coaches on a UEFA course. I was very impressed.

“He was very cool and showed a lot of knowledge on the game. Yeah, he left a lasting impression.

“So, when Rangers appointed him a few months ago, I immediately thought back to that day, and felt the club had made an excellent decision.

“They have been winning games and the players are playing with confidence. They are on the right track and the chance to play in the Scottish Premiership now only appears to be a few months away.

“That is what every Rangers fan wants and I look forward to it all. I want them back in the top division.”Former Rangers star Arthur Numan on working with a system that Mark Warburton declined – click here to read moreKonterman who will always be remembered for the screamer of a winning goal in the 2002 League Cup semi-final to end Celtic’s hopes of back-to-back Trebles may well end up following in Warburton’s footsteps.

The 44-year-old Dutchman has been bitten by the coaching bug, and is now working at FC Twente. He wants to get into top-flight management and sees the route taken by his former team-mate Frank de Boer as the ideal one.

Celtic and Ronny Deila will get a guage of his abilities when the Hoops take on his Ajax side in Amsterdam on Thursday night in the Champions League.Konterman said: “My life has been pretty busy since I retired from playing, and that is the way I like it.

“I have been involved in different aspects of the game, from being a Technical Director, an agent and a soccer analyst on Dutch television, to currently taking the Under-19 team at Twente Enschede. I’m also close to completing my UEFA Pro Licence.

“I enjoy the coaching. I love being on the training pitch. That’s my home. I get my positive energy from there.

“You know, when many footballers retire, they say they will never become a boss. I was probably the same.

“But then, in a certain moment, it just hits you and you have to do something about it. I wanted to have a feeling for the tension of a match situation.

“Strangely, too, I wanted to feel the pressure and stress. I missed the buzz, all the different elements.

“It’s a sort of addiction, I guess.

“I was 16 years as a professional footballer, and I came alive at the weekends. It was a big part of my life.

“I found that I could not walk away from it all for good. I wanted the contact of a dressing-room, of sharing moments good and not so good with other professional coaches and players.

“The coaching feels a really good fit. I enjoy the opportunity of trying to make footballers better, and to influence their lives in a positive way.

“I want to look more towards the way Frank de Boer went about his business. I see him as being a role model.

“He took small steps in some nice projects, built his blocks one level at a time and then took natural steps. He developed into a top-class coach. He deserves success because he has been patient and willing to learn.

“I would like a similar path. Ultimately, I want to become a Head Coach at a top club in Holland or abroad.”

On his CV, Konterman certainly has impressive credentials. He has been coached by some of the very best in the business.

He also has a calm manner, so important in the modern-day game when it comes to dealing with dressing-room prima-donnas, boardroom egos and the demands of the media.

But, in private moments, Konterman also has a wonderful sense of humour and he knows that is also vital to lighten the inevitable dark moods that can often engulf a manager’s life.

He can draw on his experiences from watching some successful coaches at close quarters and the names just trip of his tongue.

He said: “I was fortunate to have had many good coaches throughout my career, and I immediately think of Co Adriaanse in a positive way.

“The same applies to Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard. Yet, they were complete opposites.

“Louis is all about the day-to-day involvement. He is a builder of a team and likes to have a strategy in place. He has very strict rules but he is also open and fair. He is an ideal club manager.

“He likes to work every day, and will be desperate to succeed at Manchester United.

“Frank was an excellent man-manager. He created a nice atmosphere for his players. He was also excellent tactically and gave players a great insight into the game.”

Much in the way Mark Warburton appears to have done at Rangers.Read more sports news from the Sunday Post hereThe Numbers Game : Warburton | Create infographics