'Very big club': Former Rangers man credits 41-game Ibrox spell with sparking move to major European league
15/02/2025 18:00
On the face of it, there are precious few similarities between Glasgow Rangers and FC Union Berlin.
Rangers are one of the most historic, successful institutions in European football, albeit one that has fallen on harder times over the last decade. A club with an expectant fanbase, a cavernous stadium, and one of the biggest trophy hauls on the continent.
St Pauli, in contrast, had graced Germany’s top flight only three times in their history before earning promotion last year. Famed more for their left-wing politics than their success on the field – perennially overshadowed by rivals Hamburg – St Pauli’s recent return to the Bundesliga stage was largely down to their success in building a plucky squad far greater than the sum of it’s parts.
Yet, while Rangers and St Pauli share little in common in terms of their history, their stature, and even the size of their stadiums – you could fit one-and-a-half Millerntor Stadions inside the 51,000 capacity arena that is Ibrox – James Sands feels that his experience in Glasgow will help him adapt to life in Hamburg.
Former Rangers loanee Sands moved to the Bundesliga during the January transfer window.
And what St Pauli’s stadium maybe lacks in terms of pizzazz, it more than makes up for in atmosphere. In fact, Germany remains arguably Europe’s go-to destination for supporters looking for a bit of bite and a veritable wall of noise.
That is one thing Rangers and St Pauli do have in common.
James Sands credits Rangers with helping secure Bundesliga switch
Ibrox can pierce the eardrums as much as any of the game’s most raucous stadiums on it’s day.
And Sands feels that his experience of playing in front of such a tinnitus-inducing crowd in Glasgow means he should not be overly intimidated by upcoming trips to Eintracht Frankfurt, Werder Bremen or even Bayern Munich.
“Rangers is very big club. And during my time with them, I played many big games with big atmospheres," Sands tells Transfermarkt. "Now that I am in the Bundesliga, which has very similar types of atmospheres, having that experience can really help.”
Sands appeared 41 times in Scotland between January 2022 and the middle of 2023, before returning to America with New York City FC.
The thirteen-time USA international has made an impressive start to his second spell this side of the Atlantic, meanwhile. Something he also credits Rangers with enabling.
Sands dreams of USA re-call as he makes his mark at St Pauli
"You know, when I was at Rangers, I learned a different style of play than I was used to in New York," adds Sands, who’s duties at Ibrox were split between defensive midfield and centre-half.
"Having to make that adjustment and that adaptation, having done that once already, made adjusting to the way St. Pauli play much easier.
"I have experience playing in midfield and as a centre-back [too]. But when I returned from Rangers to New York, one of the big discussions was about me featuring in midfield more consistently.
“Fair play to New York. They held up their end of the bargain and, in the two years I was with the club the second time around, I managed to develop and make the step back to Europe."
Sands, fittingly, has made every one of his seven St Pauli appearances so far in midfield. The Big Apple-born enforcer was excellent as St Pauli defeated relegation rivals Heidenheim – he covered the most distance of anyone on the pitch with 10.1 – and also played a major role in the recent 3-0 trouncing of Union Berlin.
St Pauli’s biggest victory back in the big time.
"Making the move to Europe wasn't just about [earning my place back] in the national team," Sands explains. "I wanted to compete and challenge myself at the highest level.”
After a largely forgettable stint in Scottish football, Sands is certainly embracing the chance to do just that. And while Rangers was not the success he wanted it to be, do not underestimate the importance of the lessons learned at Ibrox.
