MAX WENT TO JUNIOR HIGH IN MADRID

Gers new boy came through one of the game's toughest tasks when he faced up to Real superstar Vinicius

- BY ANDY NEWPORT

MAX AARONS found himself hurled in at the Bernabeu deep end last season.

Now the new Rangers loan recruit admits it's sink or swim time as he looks to get his career back on track at Ibrox.

The 25-year-old was once a Premier League regular after clocking up almost a century of topflight appearances with Norwich and current parent club Bournemouth.

But last season the right-back found himself having to move to Valencia on loan as his opportunities dwindled on England’s south coast.

And his La Liga stint proved to be just as frustrating as he was limited to just five run-outs for the Mestalla men.

Joining the Spanish club in January, Aarons was afforded a couple of early opportunities in back-to-back clashes with Barcelona.

But after seeing his new side ship 12 goals over two games to the ruthless Catalan kings, the defender was left kicking his heels on the sidelines for another two months.

He was finally thrust back into action in early April, when out of the blue he was handed one of the toughest assignments in world football after being tasked with halting Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior in the Spanish capital.

This time, though, Aarons stood up to the test as he helped Valencia claim a shock 2-1 win over the Galacticos.

It was a welcome pick-me-up after a frustrating spell - and an experience Aarons believes can be of use as he bids to help Rangers survive in the shark-infested waters that lie between Russell Martin’s men and the Champions League.

He said: “That was amazing. I think in the seasons before Id played near enough 40 games each time.