PEDRO MENDES can’t wait to get back playing for his club.
He’s also looking forward to the day he can pick one up again.
The Rangers midfielder – out since injuring his knee in the nightmare 4-1 Champions League defeat by Unirea Urziceni – is still a fortnight away from a comeback.
Mendes, 30, had a mass arrival of friends and family to celebrate a Portuguese Christmas in his Glasgow home.
Now the festivities are over, he’s back at Murray Park in the big freeze and dreaming of playing football again.
As reports of Sporting Lisbon interest in him circulate, Mendes will need to escape from the pressures when the thaw finally arrives.
The Gers fans’ favourite has revealed to SunSport he now finds that release on the golf course.
Mendes had only played golf once before coming to Britain but he got so bored he chucked it after just a few holes.
Now, after living in the home of golf, he’s got the bug for good.
As new hero Tiger Woods pays for scoring OFF the course, Mendes is dreaming of improving his scores ON it.
Playmaker Mendes said: „Before I got injured I was really getting into golf.
„I’ll go back and keep working at it and have some lessons when I’m fit.
„Before coming to Glasgow I’d only played a little bit of golf when I was playing for Portsmouth and I was living there.
„I’d played it once back in Portugal too but I gave up and thought it wasn’t for me.
„Since coming to Scotland I’ve had lessons and now the bug’s inside me.
„A few weeks ago I went back home to Portugal for two or three days. There’s a golf course close to my house and I just spent all morning there.
„I was really getting addicted and was seeing signs of progress. I was actually impressed with myself but the injury has stopped things and now I’ll be afraid to go back!
„I’m missing football most of course, but golf is a really good escape.
„Even if it’s just going to the driving range for an hour or two, you can leave the family at home and you’ve not got the kids buzzing about.
„Sometimes I’ll go with a friend and you can have a chat and relax and it’s always good.
„I don’t think people are shocked to see me at the range. I think they just laugh at what they see!
„Then they look away because they don’t want to embarrass me because of my swing.
„I go to a local range so the people there recognise me and if they want to talk they can talk. It’s not a problem.
„I think there are a lot of good golfers in the Rangers squad. I’ve never played against them yet, though, I’m still not in their league.
„Maybe one day perhaps. I can see it now – the Rangers Golf Day and I’ll be involved. It might take a while though.”
Mendes once more missed out as Walter Smith’s dogged champions somehow ground out a 1-1 draw in the New Year Old Firm clash.
As Scotland shivers he’d be forgiven for craving a return home to Portugal.
He’s been away from his homeland for five years now, since leaving Porto for Spurs.
Mendes revealed one of the things he enjoys most when he goes back is playing games of volleyball in the Algarve.
He said: „Yes, I do love to play volleyball on the beach.
„It’s very good for your fitness. You’re just jumping around. It’s brilliant.
„I always play it back home and we always go to the same beach. It’s me and my friends against the guys who work on the beach.
„We play from half six till eight in the evening every day then have a nice swim afterwards.
„I played it a lot when I was in school but now I only get to do it in the summer.
„It’s very good fun, it also keeps you working out but you’re enjoying it too. If you don’t do anything you can put on a couple of kilos very easily in the summer.
„I’ve not been down to any of the beaches around Glasgow.
„In fact I’ve never seen the sea since I’ve been here. When this weather clears I need to change that.”
Eye of the tiger
PEDRO MENDES can’t wait to get back playing for his club.
He’s also looking forward to the day he can pick one up again.
The Rangers midfielder – out since injuring his knee in the nightmare 4-1 Champions League defeat by Unirea Urziceni – is still a fortnight away from a comeback.
Mendes, 30, had a mass arrival of friends and family to celebrate a Portuguese Christmas in his Glasgow home.
Now the festivities are over, he’s back at Murray Park in the big freeze and dreaming of playing football again.
As reports of Sporting Lisbon interest in him circulate, Mendes will need to escape from the pressures when the thaw finally arrives.
The Gers fans’ favourite has revealed to SunSport he now finds that release on the golf course.
Mendes had only played golf once before coming to Britain but he got so bored he chucked it after just a few holes.
Now, after living in the home of golf, he’s got the bug for good.
As new hero Tiger Woods pays for scoring OFF the course, Mendes is dreaming of improving his scores ON it.
Playmaker Mendes said: „Before I got injured I was really getting into golf.
„I’ll go back and keep working at it and have some lessons when I’m fit.
„Before coming to Glasgow I’d only played a little bit of golf when I was playing for Portsmouth and I was living there.
„I’d played it once back in Portugal too but I gave up and thought it wasn’t for me.
„Since coming to Scotland I’ve had lessons and now the bug’s inside me.
„A few weeks ago I went back home to Portugal for two or three days. There’s a golf course close to my house and I just spent all morning there.
„I was really getting addicted and was seeing signs of progress. I was actually impressed with myself but the injury has stopped things and now I’ll be afraid to go back!
„I’m missing football most of course, but golf is a really good escape.
„Even if it’s just going to the driving range for an hour or two, you can leave the family at home and you’ve not got the kids buzzing about.
„Sometimes I’ll go with a friend and you can have a chat and relax and it’s always good.
„I don’t think people are shocked to see me at the range. I think they just laugh at what they see!
„Then they look away because they don’t want to embarrass me because of my swing.
„I go to a local range so the people there recognise me and if they want to talk they can talk. It’s not a problem.
„I think there are a lot of good golfers in the Rangers squad. I’ve never played against them yet, though, I’m still not in their league.
„Maybe one day perhaps. I can see it now – the Rangers Golf Day and I’ll be involved. It might take a while though.”
Mendes once more missed out as Walter Smith’s dogged champions somehow ground out a 1-1 draw in the New Year Old Firm clash.
As Scotland shivers he’d be forgiven for craving a return home to Portugal.
He’s been away from his homeland for five years now, since leaving Porto for Spurs.
Mendes revealed one of the things he enjoys most when he goes back is playing games of volleyball in the Algarve.
He said: „Yes, I do love to play volleyball on the beach.
„It’s very good for your fitness. You’re just jumping around. It’s brilliant.
„I always play it back home and we always go to the same beach. It’s me and my friends against the guys who work on the beach.
„We play from half six till eight in the evening every day then have a nice swim afterwards.
„I played it a lot when I was in school but now I only get to do it in the summer.
„It’s very good fun, it also keeps you working out but you’re enjoying it too. If you don’t do anything you can put on a couple of kilos very easily in the summer.
„I’ve not been down to any of the beaches around Glasgow.
„In fact I’ve never seen the sea since I’ve been here. When this weather clears I need to change that.”
