Rangers’ new striker Joe Garner has admitted that his move to Ibrox was far from easy.
Joe Garner celebrates scoring
Rangers’ new signing Joe Garner has offered a farewell message to former club Preston North End after completing his move to Ibrox, as seen on the Lilywhites’ official website.
Garner, 28, completed his move to Rangers over the weekend, and was paraded at half time as Mark Warburton’s men snatched a late 2-1 win over Motherwell on Saturday afternoon.
Joe Garner shoots at goal
With Sky Sports reporting a £1.5m fee, Garner has become Warburton’s record transfer as Rangers boss, and will be hoping to replicate his Preston success during his time in Glasgow.
Garner, who joined Preston from Watford back in January 2013, was a boyhood North End fan who lived out his dream in playing for the Lilywhites, and he became a fan favourite at Deepdale both for his passion for the club, and for his superb goalscoring record.
After a slow start to life with North End, Garner hit 51 goals from the start of the 2013/14 season to the end of the 2014/15 campaign, and whilst he only scored six times in the Championship last season, he remained a popular figure amongst Preston fans.
Joe Garner celebrates scoring for Preston North End
His shock departure has left many North End supporters reeling, and after fans offered their well-wishes to their talismanic hitman, the striker offered his farewell to his beloved club.
Garner told Preston’s official website that it was a ‘very hard’ decision to join Rangers given his love for North End, and thanked the fans for their support during his three-and-a-half year spell with the club.
Garner also thanked manager Simon Grayson for his faith in him, and admitted that he will continue to follow the club whilst he’s a Rangers player, and reflected on playing his part in Preston’s promotion from League One in 2015.
Joe Garner celebrates scoring for Preston
“I would like to thank all the staff, players and fans for their support during my time at the club,” said Garner. “The manager put a lot of faith in me and I am grateful to him and all the staff for their help in developing me further as a player. All the team-mates I have played with at PNE are top lads and I know they will do great things at Deepdale.”
“It was a very hard decision for me to leave, if only because of the amazing backing I have had from the fans. They took me to their hearts and I couldn’t have asked for any more and I leave with some amazing memories; not least the promotion at Wembley, which was as special for every fan as it was for the players, staff and myself. Thank you again – I will always follow the club and wish everyone at Deepdale the very best for the future,” he added.
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