Ryan Naderi makes ‘fairy tale’ Rangers admission after Czech debut
Ryan Naderi’s remarkable rise at Rangers has taken another step forward after the striker made his senior Czechia debut against Spain.
The 23-year-old came off the bench in the 57th minute of Czechia’s Nations League clash with the world champions, victorious over Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final, completing a remarkable few months for a player whose career has accelerated dramatically since arriving at Ibrox.
Czechia eventually lost 3-1 in Spain, but Naderi could even have marked his debut with a goal after finding the net in the second half, only for the effort to be ruled out following a foul in the build-up.
The Rangers forward admitted afterwards that the occasion had left him feeling as though he was living through a fairytale.
“I feel a bit like in a fairy tale,” Naderi said. “It’s amazing for me to be here. I’m enjoying it a lot.
“I’ve made big steps lately. It’s all incredible and I still can’t understand it.”
And those big steps have been particularly evident at Rangers.
Celtic Park winner helps propel Naderi onto international stage
Naderi has been one of the beneficiaries of Rangers’ recent upturn in form under Derek McInnes.
The Ibrox side went into the September international break having beaten Celtic twice in the space of eight days, first recording a 3-0 victory in the Premier Sports Cup before Naderi produced the decisive moment at Celtic Park.
With the match finely poised, Naderi reacted quickest after Kim Min-Su’s effort was saved, firing home the rebound in the 33rd minute to give Rangers a 1-0 victory.
It was his goal which secured a second consecutive Old Firm victory and moved Rangers to within two points of Celtic at the top of the Premiership.
Naderi had even been an injury doubt for the game after suffering an ankle problem in the previous meeting, but he insisted there was no question of him missing such a fixture.
“You can’t miss games like this,” he said after the victory.
“I think you see this togetherness by the goals we concede, not many. We play a lot of games to zero, which means that we are very compact.
“We work together, we look at each other, where the person next to you stands. Defensively, when you are so stable, you will always have chances to score, and then you win games.”
That recent form has transformed Naderi's standing at Ibrox and helped take him from an attacking option at club level to an international striker.
Naderi’s Czech connection was already clear in August
There was already a hint that Czechia could become part of Naderi’s story when Rangers faced Jablonec in August.
Following Rangers’ 1-0 win at Ibrox, Naderi explained the family connection which made him eligible to represent the country.
“My mum is from the Czech Republic, and my grandma lives there, so I can speak Czech,” he revealed.
“My Czech is not as good as it used to be, because when I was a student, I used to go there on holidays.”
The Jablonec tie was particularly significant for Naderi because it offered him the chance to return to a country which had been part of his childhood.
At that stage, however, an international career with Czechia was still only a possibility.
Now it is a reality. Naderi went on to score the winner in that Jablonec first leg before continuing his excellent run of form with Rangers, despite the Gers European elimination in the second leg of that tie.
He had previously admitted that Rangers were still a work in progress at the time, but insisted the team were heading in the right direction.
“It’s still progress we’re going through, and we still have to improve, and I think we’re going in the right direction,” he said.
His subsequent performances have taken that progress to another level.
“The biggest match in my life”
Naderi’s Czechia debut came against Spain, meaning his first appearance for his country was immediately against the reigning European champions and one of the strongest international sides in world football.
He admitted there were nerves before stepping onto the pitch.
“The feelings are incredible. I enjoyed it a lot,” Naderi said.
“Of course I was a little nervous, it was a huge match, the biggest in my life so far.”
“I felt the energy from my teammates. It was easy to adapt.
His impact almost produced a dream equaliser when he followed up after a header from Ladislav Krejcí, only for the goal to be disallowed after referee Vassilis Fotias had spotted a foul earlier in the move.
“I can’t control it,” Naderi said.
“The referee blew the whistle quickly. There wasn’t even a chance to celebrate for too long.
“It’s a shame, but I’m moving on. I hope it works out in the next match.”
Naderi’s debut is further evidence of just how quickly the striker’s career has moved since arriving at Ibrox.
In August, he was discussing his childhood holidays in Czechia and his family connection to the country.
In September, he silenced Celtic Park with the winning goal in an Old Firm derby.
And now, in October, he has pulled on the Czechia shirt for the first time against Spain.
