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Bruno Alves to consider Rangers future if he does not play

Bruno Alves has admitted he will have to consider his future at Rangers if he does not become a regular starter in the remaining matches of the year.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Dec 2017, 06:00 BST
Updated 12th Dec 2017, 09:47 BST
Bruno Alves, right, joins Rangers team-mate Ross McCrorie, left, and interim manager Graeme Murty to help promote the Rangers Charity Foundation's food bank collection before Saturday's game with Ross County. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items to a collection point outside the megastore. Picture: Craig Foy/SNSBruno Alves, right, joins Rangers team-mate Ross McCrorie, left, and interim manager Graeme Murty to help promote the Rangers Charity Foundation's food bank collection before Saturday's game with Ross County. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items to a collection point outside the megastore. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS
Bruno Alves, right, joins Rangers team-mate Ross McCrorie, left, and interim manager Graeme Murty to help promote the Rangers Charity Foundation's food bank collection before Saturday's game with Ross County. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items to a collection point outside the megastore. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS

The Portuguese centre-back has started only once in six games since the sacking of countryman Pedro Caixinha – who signed the Euro 2016 winner.

A combination of injury and caretaker Graeme Murty’s early preference for pairing Danny Wilson and Ross McCrorie in central defence has limited Alves’ first-team exposure. But the former Porto man is desperate to play in the World Cup finals in Russia next summer and sees the coming month as crucial to his short-term plans.

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“I am an ambitious person,” he said. “I like to play. I respect everybody. I don’t want to be a problem to anybody, I want to be a solution. If I don’t have the space or I don’t play so much then of course I need to think about [what happens in January].”

Alves, 36, knows the World Cup is likely to be his last major tournament.

“I am still playing for the national team,” he said. “We have a World Cup soon and I need to play and be fit, to try to be there. This is important for me. Not just to help Rangers, but I also want to help myself to go to the World Cup.”