Rothwell Praises Martin Masterstroke Amid Imminent Rangers Move

Joe Rothwell has expressed his admiration for Russell Martin ahead of their reunion at Rangers. The former England Under-20 international is hopeful that his move to Ibrox will help him pursue his international ambitions… this time representing Scotland!

Rothwell spent the previous season on loan at Leeds United from Bournemouth but is now making a permanent switch north of the border.

At 30 years old, he has voiced his desire to play for Steve Clarke’s Scotland side, qualifying through his Scottish grandmother. To start, he will be keen to reconnect with Martin, a former Scotland international, under whom he previously played during a loan spell at Southampton.

Although his time at St Mary’s was somewhat frustrating, Rothwell has tremendous respect for the new Light Blues manager. One managerial tactic stood out to him: the personal note Martin wrote to each squad member on the eve of the Championship play-off final, which proved pivotal in their victory over Leeds United at Wembley.

Speaking on the More Than A Match podcast, Rothwell shared: “I loved Russell, still love him to this day and still stay in touch. I remember the knock at the door (the night before the playoff final) and an envelope slipped under.

“He wrote handwritten letters and slipped them under everyone’s door the night before the final. It was a heartfelt thank you, expressing what we meant to him and the team and recognizing our efforts.

“I had never encountered that before. It might exist elsewhere, but it was new to me and really highlighted the kind of person he is – someone who genuinely cares for his players.

“He unified the entire club, and everyone on staff spoke highly of him. When I joined Southampton, I was really excited because I’d noticed their style of play, which aligns with how I want to play.”

Although Rothwell has represented England at various youth levels, he stated: “I’ve always been open to the idea of playing for Scotland. My gran was Scottish, and she’d be incredibly proud if I were to have that opportunity.”