Rangers fans have sent messages to former player Daniel Candeias on Twitter, imploring him to return to the club.
The Portuguese was a rare positive of the Pedro Caixinha era, arriving at Ibrox in 2017 and going on to play 70 league games.
During Steven Gerrard’s first season in charge, he was one of his most trusted players, making 52 appearances in all competitions.
However, with the manager looking to recruit in wide areas during the summer transfer window, Candeias opted to move on, signing a two-year deal with Turkish Super Lig club Genclerbirligi.
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For most of the first half of the season, Rangers struggled to replace him, with the likes of Sheyi Ojo failing to impress in the wide right position. It wasn’t until a positional change for Joe Aribo in December that the Gers looked to have regained a balance to their XI.
An extremely hard worker who is capable of moments of brilliance, Candeias was extremely popular at Ibrox and it’s clear some Bears miss seeing him firing into tackles and linking up with James Tavernier.
When one fan said as much in a tweet and the 31-year-old responded, others pleaded with him to return.
Here’s a selection of reactions:
Verdict
Candeias was a very likeable figure who always gave his heart and soul in a Rangers shirt and brought many qualities to the team.
He played a major role during his time at Ibrox, but it was ultimately decided that the Gers wanted more than the 6 goals and 12 assists he provided in his 52 outings across 2018/19.
The fact is that while he did link up extremely well with Tavernier, he struggled for consistency in terms of affecting goals himself, and that’s what ultimately proved his undoing.
His record so far in Turkey paints a similar picture. In one incredible game against Antalyaspor in October, he scored a hat-trick and registered two assists in a 6-0 win. However, in his 16 other appearances for the club, he has failed to score and has contributed just two further assists.