Following on from Connor Goldson, we take a look at the final Gers centre-back, Nikola Katic.
The Croatian international experienced a topsy turvy first season at Ibrox, after arriving from Slaven Belupo for an estimated £2.05m [Transfermarkt].
He went straight into the team, lining up against Skhupi in the first competitive fixture of the season. Just a few weeks later, he scored his first goal for the club, against Osijek.
At 6ft 4″, his aerial prowess and physical presence saw him go down a storm with the Rangers fans from the off.
However, Steven Gerrard hasn’t always been convinced.
Having played almost every game up until the end of September, Katic suddenly found his opportunities limited.
Then, after a shaky display away at Spartak in November, he was hauled off at half-time against Motherwell at Ibrox. That signalled a prolonged period out in the cold. He would play just 30 minutes of first-team football over the next two and a half months.
After a sustained campaign from fans on social media, he was briefly reinstated. However, it wasn’t really until the SPL title was over that Gerrard gave the 22-year-old another prolonged run in the team.
Post-Split Excellence
He certainly took that opportunity, though.
Picked ahead of Joe Worrall for the trip to Motherwell, Katic helped the Gers to a clean sheet. He then showed consistency as a key part of the side which won the first four post-split fixtures.
Across that time, Rangers conceded just once and Katic passed a big test by excelling in the Old Firm victory at Ibrox.
Overall, then, a difficult but ultimately positive first season for the centre-back. Despite prolonged stints out of the team, he still racked up 30 appearances.
What’s more, unlike Joe Worrall, he committed no real glaring errors. A mix up with Allan McGregor against Killie is one blip that springs to mind.
Perhaps he was guilty of trying a little too hard and being too frantic during the middle part of the campaign.
However, he excelled at the back end of the season and looks to have won the manager’s approval.
Gerrard claimed he needs him fit and ready for 60 games next season [RangersTV], so he’s clearly a big part of his plans going forward.
