Danilo says daughter has been 'light in the darkness' during injury return
Rangers forward Danilo described his baby daughter as the "light in the darkness" of his injury-hit first season in Glasgow.
The Brazilian is set to make his competitive comeback from a knee injury that finished his campaign in early December.
The former Ajax player also had a lay-off with a fractured cheekbone sustained while scoring against St Johnstone and only managed 10 starts in total following his arrival from Feyenoord.
Ahead of Rangers' William Hill Premiership opener against Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday, the 25-year-old told Sky Sports News: "It's been a really tough period for me, seven months, it's been rough. My knee is 100 per cent ready to go and I am ready to crack on. My fitness is going to be the main thing for me to push now, to get my fitness back.
"It's not what you want when you go to a different country, especially how the fans welcomed me. I wanted to play a full season. It's part of a footballer's life, you never know what can happen during a game.
"I didn't have good luck last season but hopefully this year I can stay on the field and I just want to help my team-mates.
"I had a blessing, me and my wife we got a beautiful baby. By the time of my knee injury, our baby was born. So that was a good thing, it could occupy my mind. She was my light in the darkness.
"She is just everything for me and I thank my wife for everything she has done. She had to help me a lot and the medical staff did a great job keeping me positive.
"I had to learn how to walk again. Small steps were big steps for me. But this is in the past and I am focused on this season and hopefully it will be a great one."
The Rangers fans took to Danilo when he was playing and he is determined to repay their backing.
"I want to do everything, I want to give everything back for their support," said the attacker, who has featured during pre-season matches.
"Right now I am getting my confidence back, I need to get my self-confidence with the ball. I have to improve small things again because seven months is not seven days.
"You get everything back slowly but when you start to play games you get your confidence back. I want to give everything and hopefully I can show myself again and even more so, I am ready to give more than 100 per cent on the field and help my team-mates."
Danilo has also been encouraged by the loan signing of Czech winger Vaclav Cerny, his former team-mate during a season at Twente.
"It was a great season for us," he said. "We knew each other from Jong Ajax. He will bring a lot of potential, he has a really good left foot and he knows where the space is. I am really happy he is around and hopefully he can bring a lot of positivity for us and help us a lot."
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