The story of former Rangers star Fernando Ricksen revealed

[corbyloyal84 130]

http://www.scotlandnow.<No links to this website>/sport/story-former-rangers-star-fernando-3595996?

FERNANDO RICKSEN was just another interview subject for Dutch journalist Vincent de Vries.

Until he came to Scotland to meet him.

The sports hack was sent to Ibrox to do a couple of pieces with the controversial Rangers right back during his incident-packed spell in Glasgow that saw him hit the front pages with almost as much regularity as he spent at the back of every paper in the country.

De Vries then followed Ricksen to Russia after his transfer to Zenit St Petersburg and a wild night out cemented a friendship that had grown steadily - because the journalist, who was freelance at the time and could have made a fortune from selling the story, kept his mouth and his laptop closed.

"That was a crazy night but when I returned to Holland, we kind of lost touch for a couple of years. But when he left St Petersburg and came back to Holland, to coach at Fortuna Sittard, I caught up with him again and suggested to Fernando that he really should publish his life story," Vincent smiled. "He has already lived the life of three or people because his story is not just about being a football player.

"He was a top class international athlete who was into everything - sex, scandal, drugs - yet he wasn't very well known in Holland. The book changed that."

It certainly did. 'Fighting Spirit - The Fernando Ricksen Story' has already sold 70,000 copies in his homeland and this week it stood at No 2 in the Amazon sportsbook charts in the UK.

"Only Pirlo is ahead of him," said de Vries. "Ferguson and Mourinho's books are third and fourth, so he is in good company!"

Fernando's story is, of course, blighted by tragedy. Just as it was being launched, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and the deterioration in the condition of this supreme athlete has been as quick as it has been heartbreaking.

"It has been an emotional time, there is no denying that," de Vries added. "At first, Fernando didn't know what was wrong with him but when it was confirmed that he had MND, he didn't even know what it was.

"He is still a strong guy mentally, but he knows he won't live forever. He just wants to make sure his wife and his family are okay now.

"He is a changed man from the guy I first met and not only because of the illness. It's so sad that he got sick at a time in his life when he is so happy and settled with his family."

That wasn't the case when de Vries first hooked up with the right back during his time at Ibrox.

He said: "We just had a normal journalist-footballer relationship. I was sent over to interview him a couple of times and we got on okay but it was just a couple of meetings at Ibrox and no more.

"When he moved to St Petersburg, I was sent to spend a few days with him to record his life in Russia. That's when I saw just how crazy his life could be.

"We went to a couple of nightclubs but he told me that this was all off the record. When nothing appeared, he knew he could trust me.

"You can't write someone's life story unless you trust each other and I told him if we were to do it, we had to do it properly and it had to include things that didn't make him look good.

"He agreed and this is a very honest book. The only thing he wouldn't do was name names of other people who were involved in some of the things that went on. He feels that if those people want to admit to them, then that's fine but it is not his place to do it."

De Vries visited Ricksen at his home in Belgium no fewer than 30 times to collect the information and thoughts he needed before committing the former Rangers player's words to paper. And he admits he is delighted that Ricksen is satisfied with the outcome.

"You know, Fernando wasn't too well known in Holland before the book," he said. "He was a much bigger star in Scotland than in his own country.

"But now everyone knows his story. He was on holiday in Turkey last week, in a resort popular with Dutch people and many of them had his book with them. He spent a lot of time signing copies.

"We are now on the third edition of it and it has been updated to include his illness. The book was just coming out when he was diagnosed, so it was important to update it.

"It has been an emotional time and this weekend, I know a lot of Rangers fans are travelling to Sittard for his testimonial match.

"That means so much to him. He has always said that his time in Glasgow was the best of his career. He loves Rangers and knows he is loved by their fans.

"That kind of support has given him strength when he has most needed it."

• FIGHTING SPIRIT by Fernando Ricksen and Vincent de Vries, published by Arena Sport is available now, priced £16.99.

[corbyloyal84 130]

fuck knows why the text is that small

[Drumloyal 14,966]

http://www.scotlandn...rnando-3595996?

FERNANDO RICKSEN was just another interview subject for Dutch journalist Vincent de Vries.

Until he came to Scotland to meet him.

The sports hack was sent to Ibrox to do a couple of pieces with the controversial Rangers right back during his incident-packed spell in Glasgow that saw him hit the front pages with almost as much regularity as he spent at the back of every paper in the country.

De Vries then followed Ricksen to Russia after his transfer to Zenit St Petersburg and a wild night out cemented a friendship that had grown steadily - because the journalist, who was freelance at the time and could have made a fortune from selling the story, kept his mouth and his laptop closed.

"That was a crazy night but when I returned to Holland, we kind of lost touch for a couple of years. But when he left St Petersburg and came back to Holland, to coach at Fortuna Sittard, I caught up with him again and suggested to Fernando that he really should publish his life story," Vincent smiled. "He has already lived the life of three or people because his story is not just about being a football player.

"He was a top class international athlete who was into everything - sex, scandal, drugs - yet he wasn't very well known in Holland. The book changed that."

It certainly did. 'Fighting Spirit - The Fernando Ricksen Story' has already sold 70,000 copies in his homeland and this week it stood at No 2 in the Amazon sportsbook charts in the UK.

"Only Pirlo is ahead of him," said de Vries. "Ferguson and Mourinho's books are third and fourth, so he is in good company!"

Fernando's story is, of course, blighted by tragedy. Just as it was being launched, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and the deterioration in the condition of this supreme athlete has been as quick as it has been heartbreaking.

"It has been an emotional time, there is no denying that," de Vries added. "At first, Fernando didn't know what was wrong with him but when it was confirmed that he had MND, he didn't even know what it was.

"He is still a strong guy mentally, but he knows he won't live forever. He just wants to make sure his wife and his family are okay now.

"He is a changed man from the guy I first met and not only because of the illness. It's so sad that he got sick at a time in his life when he is so happy and settled with his family."

That wasn't the case when de Vries first hooked up with the right back during his time at Ibrox.

He said: "We just had a normal journalist-footballer relationship. I was sent over to interview him a couple of times and we got on okay but it was just a couple of meetings at Ibrox and no more.

"When he moved to St Petersburg, I was sent to spend a few days with him to record his life in Russia. That's when I saw just how crazy his life could be.

"We went to a couple of nightclubs but he told me that this was all off the record. When nothing appeared, he knew he could trust me.

"You can't write someone's life story unless you trust each other and I told him if we were to do it, we had to do it properly and it had to include things that didn't make him look good.

"He agreed and this is a very honest book. The only thing he wouldn't do was name names of other people who were involved in some of the things that went on. He feels that if those people want to admit to them, then that's fine but it is not his place to do it."

De Vries visited Ricksen at his home in Belgium no fewer than 30 times to collect the information and thoughts he needed before committing the former Rangers player's words to paper. And he admits he is delighted that Ricksen is satisfied with the outcome.

"You know, Fernando wasn't too well known in Holland before the book," he said. "He was a much bigger star in Scotland than in his own country.

"But now everyone knows his story. He was on holiday in Turkey last week, in a resort popular with Dutch people and many of them had his book with them. He spent a lot of time signing copies.

"We are now on the third edition of it and it has been updated to include his illness. The book was just coming out when he was diagnosed, so it was important to update it.

"It has been an emotional time and this weekend, I know a lot of Rangers fans are travelling to Sittard for his testimonial match.

"That means so much to him. He has always said that his time in Glasgow was the best of his career. He loves Rangers and knows he is loved by their fans.

"That kind of support has given him strength when he has most needed it."

• FIGHTING SPIRIT by Fernando Ricksen and Vincent de Vries, published by Arena Sport is available now, priced £16.99.

Fixed, I hope.

[Bobby Hume 13,016]

Fernando must have heard your drum, very good article.

[OzzieBear 204]

Fixed, I hope.

Fixed on iPhone at least - well done

[Drumloyal 14,966]

Even though it's been months since I heard of his affliction, it still breaks my heart, no surrender Fernando!

[WilliamFyfe 1,438]

I'll need to buy the updated book. Can imagine it's a good read.

Disappointed the people who run Rangers just now haven't given him a testimonial. He might not last long.

Keep fighting Ricksen.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Cheers for posting this:

I fixed the font size to be more readable:

http://www.scotlandn...rnando-3595996?

FERNANDO RICKSEN was just another interview subject for Dutch journalist Vincent de Vries.

Until he came to Scotland to meet him.

The sports hack was sent to Ibrox to do a couple of pieces with the controversial Rangers right back during his incident-packed spell in Glasgow that saw him hit the front pages with almost as much regularity as he spent at the back of every paper in the country.

De Vries then followed Ricksen to Russia after his transfer to Zenit St Petersburg and a wild night out cemented a friendship that had grown steadily - because the journalist, who was freelance at the time and could have made a fortune from selling the story, kept his mouth and his laptop closed.

"That was a crazy night but when I returned to Holland, we kind of lost touch for a couple of years. But when he left St Petersburg and came back to Holland, to coach at Fortuna Sittard, I caught up with him again and suggested to Fernando that he really should publish his life story," Vincent smiled. "He has already lived the life of three or people because his story is not just about being a football player.

"He was a top class international athlete who was into everything - sex, scandal, drugs - yet he wasn't very well known in Holland. The book changed that."

It certainly did. 'Fighting Spirit - The Fernando Ricksen Story' has already sold 70,000 copies in his homeland and this week it stood at No 2 in the Amazon sportsbook charts in the UK.

"Only Pirlo is ahead of him," said de Vries. "Ferguson and Mourinho's books are third and fourth, so he is in good company!"

Fernando's story is, of course, blighted by tragedy. Just as it was being launched, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and the deterioration in the condition of this supreme athlete has been as quick as it has been heartbreaking.

"It has been an emotional time, there is no denying that," de Vries added. "At first, Fernando didn't know what was wrong with him but when it was confirmed that he had MND, he didn't even know what it was.

"He is still a strong guy mentally, but he knows he won't live forever. He just wants to make sure his wife and his family are okay now.

"He is a changed man from the guy I first met and not only because of the illness. It's so sad that he got sick at a time in his life when he is so happy and settled with his family."

That wasn't the case when de Vries first hooked up with the right back during his time at Ibrox.

He said: "We just had a normal journalist-footballer relationship. I was sent over to interview him a couple of times and we got on okay but it was just a couple of meetings at Ibrox and no more.

"When he moved to St Petersburg, I was sent to spend a few days with him to record his life in Russia. That's when I saw just how crazy his life could be.

"We went to a couple of nightclubs but he told me that this was all off the record. When nothing appeared, he knew he could trust me.

"You can't write someone's life story unless you trust each other and I told him if we were to do it, we had to do it properly and it had to include things that didn't make him look good.

"He agreed and this is a very honest book. The only thing he wouldn't do was name names of other people who were involved in some of the things that went on. He feels that if those people want to admit to them, then that's fine but it is not his place to do it."

De Vries visited Ricksen at his home in Belgium no fewer than 30 times to collect the information and thoughts he needed before committing the former Rangers player's words to paper. And he admits he is delighted that Ricksen is satisfied with the outcome.

"You know, Fernando wasn't too well known in Holland before the book," he said. "He was a much bigger star in Scotland than in his own country.

"But now everyone knows his story. He was on holiday in Turkey last week, in a resort popular with Dutch people and many of them had his book with them. He spent a lot of time signing copies.

"We are now on the third edition of it and it has been updated to include his illness. The book was just coming out when he was diagnosed, so it was important to update it.

"It has been an emotional time and this weekend, I know a lot of Rangers fans are travelling to Sittard for his testimonial match.

"That means so much to him. He has always said that his time in Glasgow was the best of his career. He loves Rangers and knows he is loved by their fans.

"That kind of support has given him strength when he has most needed it."

• FIGHTING SPIRIT by Fernando Ricksen and Vincent de Vries, published by Arena Sport is available now, priced £16.99.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Fixed, I hope.

Beat me to it.

[Drumloyal 14,966]

Beat me to it.

His tale needs told, couldn't wait for you bro..... lol

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

His tale needs told, couldn't wait for you bro..... lol

Can't argue with that logic, mate.

[denya 1,661]

Great article. Didn't know he lives in Belgium now or did he just used to live in Belgium? Great to hear he is getting much more recognition in Holland now too and that many of our own support are heading to his testimonial.

[G.E.C. 18,746]

Just ordered Ricksen's autobiography on Amazon.