Since his move to Ibrox in the summer of 2018, Borna Barisic hasn’t always been the flavour of the month.
Injuries, poor form and even a perceived lack of commitment ensured many fans were far from impressed.
Yet, there have been signs this season that he’s ready to make a much better fist of things.
Away at St Joseph’s in the first game of the season, he was instrumental in a 4-0 win. Against St Mirren, last month, his stunning free-kick secured the points.
Then, against Feyenoord on Thursday night, he really looked to come of age as a Rangers player. It seems he’s now won a lot of the fan base over, too.
After a tough opening few minutes against Steven Berghuis, he looked comfortable at the back while adding threat going forward that the likes of Jon Flanagan and Andy Halliday simply don’t offer.
His crossing was dangerous on occasion and he played a big part in Sheyi Ojo’s goal, both with his challenge and his overlapping run.
The fact that he had quality was never in question, but this was an assured display the like of which Gers fans haven’t seen much of.
As a result, he received big recognition from UEFA. He was named at left-back in the Europa League Team of the Week, which is hugely impressive considering there were 24 fixtures and therefore, 47 other left-backs in operation during Gameweek 1.
Rangers fans delighted by Barisic’s TOTW inclusion
Given all the trials and tribulations of his Ibrox stint so far, plenty of fans were pleased to see the Croatian international recognised.
It seems as though opinions towards the 26-year-old are changing and hopefully if he gets a run in the side, he can finally nail down that spot.
Here’s a selection of reactions from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/oldskool_1872/status/1175046551753908233
https://twitter.com/CRascal89/status/1175003783132323841