THE philosophy is one of style and substance for Peter Bosz. It has been inspired by Johan Cruyff and will next be put to work at Ibrox.

Like so many of his contemporaries, and especially those who are his countrymen, the former Netherlands midfielder has an affection for Cruyff that stands the test of time.

The teachings of Cruyff still have a lasting legacy in the game and Bosz - the former Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen boss - now puts his messages and mantra to good use at Lyon.

The Ligue 1 giants face Rangers in their Europa League opener on Thursday evening as the two favourites to progress from Group A go head-to-head on matchday one.

Lyon will provide the sternest test of the season so far for Steven Gerrard's side and the Ibrox boss should be expecting an attacking approach from the man who lead Leverkusen to victory in Glasgow last March.

"It is true that when I played for Feyenoord, I often wondered how it was at Ajax," Bosz said. "But that was at the time under Louis van Gaal. Several times I parked discreetly to see what he was doing.

"I had the chance to see Johan Cruyff when he was still playing. An uncle lived near me and it was easy for me to go to the training grounds to see them.

"It's true that Cruyff has always had something special. It was very useful, not only for my theoretical understanding of football, but also for my way of seeing football.

"One of Cruyff's fundamental beliefs was that we played for the fans and that there was always something to offer them.

"Finally, Cruyff was also a winner. People often get the misconception that if you aspire to play good football, winning isn't so important anymore.

"But we always play to win. After that you can win in several ways.

"The way I want to do it is not the easiest, because it involves a lot of space in your back. Mistakes pay for themselves.

"But for the fans, it's a style of play that will be remembered. You really have to offer something beautiful. This is exactly what I always try to do with every team I work with."

The five year spell at Feyenoord was the most noteworthy of Bosz's career and he has clocked up as many stops as a coach as he did as a player.

His time with Maccabi Tel Aviv was short lived before he returned to his homeland but a stint in Israel allowed the 57-year-old the chance to meet his hero.

Bosz said: "He came for Jordi, his son. Jordi told me, somewhat unofficially, that in two weeks his father and mother would be coming to Tel Aviv. He said they do this once a year.

"And I asked him if he was coming to training. Jordi replied: 'Take my word for it, coach. He will come every day because spending all day with my mom in a hotel room, he won't be able to.'

"So it's clear that I didn't sleep very well, knowing he was coming. I was looking forward to him and indeed he came on day one and he also came to see us play.

"It was something very special to me, and not just because he died less than a week later.

"All the people you mentioned, Pep Guardiola, Wim Jansen, who was also my coach at Feyenoord, Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels, but also various foreign coaches, all taught me things and then, after many years, you develop this football philosophy.

"I'm never talking about systems, because the systems depend on the players you have. In my case, that means playing attacking football, putting a lot of pressure on the opponent, defending aggressively, trying to get the ball back as fast as possible, then scoring as fast as possible.

"And if we don't, we try to keep the ball. Based on that, you look at the players you have to see how you are going to play. But it has to be aggressive, domineering and attractive football."

Bosz is no stranger to Gerrard or Ibrox after guiding his Leverkusen side to two wins over Rangers - at either side of lockdown - during the 2019/20 campaign.

And he can't wait to sample the famous atmosphere once again as Gerrard's side aim to embark on another extended Europa League run this term.

Bosz said: "I think we are all looking forward to seeing the fans come back to the stadium. In my experience, European Cup nights always have an added dimension.

"We're all used to playing in a full stadium, but these European nights are always a little more special."