Rangers manager Michael Beale has told The Daily Record the change he would like Malik Tillman to make in his game.
Beale has raved about Tillman and has hailed the qualities of the attacking midfielder who joined Rangers on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022.
The Rangers boss has been hugely impressed by the way the USA international has changed his position from a striker or second striker to be a goalscoring midfielder during his time at Ibrox.
Beale believes that the £13,000-a-week (SalarySport) attacking midfielder is “a very classy player”, but the Rangers boss wants him to be not as laid-back as he is on the pitch.
That is the one change that Rangers boss Beale would like in the 20-year-old’s game.
Rangers boss Michael Beale on Malik Tillman
Beale said about Tillman: “I’ve asked him to do a slightly different role. He played mostly as a striker or second striker coming through at Bayern.
“I’m asking him to be a midfielder who breaks out to score goals from there because I think it adds another goalscorer. So far so good.
“Wednesday was a big tick in the box in terms of an away game in Scottish football where it’s a little bit fast and frantic. Can he handle that as a 20-year-old? I think he handled it really, really well.”
The Rangers boss added: “Sometimes he’s a little bit too calm for my liking. Somewhere in between British passion and intensity and his calmness is probably where you want the dial at times.
“You do have a couple of heart-in-mouth moments at times when he’s doing some of his stuff. But he’s a very classy player. There are a lot of good players across all the teams in Scotland.
“We had quite a few go to the World Cup, which probably shows the league in a good light as well. At 20, Malik is a boy who has come in without people knowing anything about him and he’s a really pleasing player. But I think we’ve got them across the league.”
Gem
In our view, Malik Tillman is a gem of a footballer who has done well for Rangers, and it would make sense for the Gers to get a permanent deal done for the attacking midfielder in the summer of 2023.
That Tillman has already made appearances in the Bundesliga for Bayern and is playing for Rangers on a regular basis shows just how good he is.
And how much more he has to offer.
Let us not forget that Tillman is only 20.
And he is also now a full USA international.
Tillman has made 18 starts and four substitute appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers so far this season.
The youngster has scored six goals and given four assists in those matches.
