Jon Flanagan has previewed the 2019/20 season in an interview with RangersTV.
For a spell following last term’s winter break, it looked as though the 26-year-old had fluffed his lines at Ibrox.
Punished for consistently underwhelming displays over the first half of the season, he found himself well down the pecking order.
Both Borna Barisic and Andy Halliday were the more fancied left-backs and he didn’t feature at all in February nor March.
When an opportunity presented itself in April, though, he grabbed it with both hands. He finished the season as first choice left-back and is hoping it can stay that way.
“I am feeling good and I am excited to see what this season brings,” Flanagan told RangersTV. “I am in a good mindset at the minute and I am ready to kick on.”
“To end last season how we did, I think the team were in really good form and I just want that to continue really – I will keep fighting for my place and hopefully get as many minutes under my belt as possible.
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“I think I am getting there, the back end of last season was the best I have felt for a long time. I just need to try and maintain that and keep getting better. My aims for this year are to try and cement a place in the team and help us do good things.
“Pre-season is massive for everyone, there is a lot of competition there and we will see but I am feeling good and hopefully can try and keep my place.”
Verdict
Flanagan experienced plenty of lows last season but demonstrated impressive self-belief to seemingly come back from the brink.
You would think that if Gerrard can finally get Borna Barisic firing on all cylinders, he will be the club’s first choice left-back.
However, the manager did give Flanagan a symbolic vote of confidence over the weekend. He named him in his starting XI for the 2-0 friendly victory over Mansfield Town in the Algarve.
