Patience is a virtue.
Some players have injury problems because of a bad tackle or because they have fallen awkwardly. Fans find it easier to understand and sympathise with these players because they see a cause and an effect.
At Rangers, we think of Michael Mols, Ian Durrant, Alan McLaren and Seb Rozenthal. Then there are situations such as the unfortunate Daniel Prodan and Andy Webster. Prodan arrived injured and never played for the club, he was one of the finest centre halves in Europe but hardly kicked a ball for Rangers or any club after he left us because of the negligence to his body by previous clubs.
Andy Webster demonstrated a physical resilience after he left Rangers that implied perhaps more psychological than physical restrictions during his time in a blue shirt, not helped during his four-year contract with a season on loan at Dundee United where he hardly missed a game and was a Player of the Year nominee. Nobody is that unlucky, surely.
The case of Jordan Rossiter is significantly different. At 20 years old he has his whole career ahead of him but has played only a handful of times in his 18 months at the club. He has become a joke figure because of Mark Warburton’s infamous “7-10 days away” quote, his staple response when asked how far away Rossiter was from a return to the first team.
If you didn’t know, Rangers signed Jordan Rossiter for £250,000. This was (still is) a bargain. He was capped at Under 16-19 levels for England and frequently captained his international team. He first sat on the bench for Liverpool as a 16-year-old (against Chelsea) and made his debut in the Premier League as a 17-year-old. His league debut wasn’t when Liverpool were winning 4-0 v *insert relegated side* but instead against Arsenal, at the Emirates when the score was 0-0 at the beginning of the season. He was Liverpool’s second youngest ever scorer behind Michael Owen when he scored on his first start from 25-30 yards in a League Cup game v Middlesbrough.
He was a full-time member of Liverpool’s first team squad under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp at 17 years old. To get a player of his undoubted ability for £250,000 is unheard of and if he was still under contract and sold to another Premier League Club £10,000,000 wouldn’t be an unrealistic fee.
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Rossiter then suffered the first of a series of hamstring injuries in October 2015.
Rossiter, is, and very much looks, like a young boy. When he was 16-18 years old he was playing professional sport at the highest level with some of the greatest physical demands and stresses that can be placed on the body. Unfortunately, sometimes, young player’s bodies can’t cope with these stresses – Steven Gerrard is probable the most famous example. If the problem isn’t diagnosed it can lead to a cycle of injury that is hard to escape.
It has taken over two years but the Rangers medical staff believe that they have got to the root of the problems. Rossiter’s back is unable to keep up with the power and forces generated by his legs, this leads to muscles not firing in the correct order and becoming overused. For example, his hamstrings are trying to decelerate his leg when he is kicking the ball or applying the brakes when he runs but they are also trying to stabilise his pelvis and lower back. It’s like having one man do the job of two or playing one midfielder in the middle of the park against two opponents – eventually something will give.
As Rangers fans we have to be patient with Rossiter. On the few occasions I’ve seen Rossiter play he has been composed, technically brilliant and looks like a natural leader, he was constantly barking at senior, more experienced players. In an important position he could become a key player in the new Rangers team.
There is no doubting Rossiter’s ability, there is only a doubt about his body’s ability to cope and perform to the best level that his talent has shown he is capable of. He has loads of time on his hands, his body has to be re-trained and re-configured but this won’t happen overnight, he hasn’t torn cartilage that can be removed or repaired with an operation.
Personally I’m not bothered if he is 7-10 days or 7-10 months away if he wins his battle and can become a Rangers regular at the heart of the midfield. In Graeme Murty he has the right person to look after him both this season and beyond whatever his role in the club. A spine with McCrorie, Rossiter, Windass and Morelos is genuinely an exciting prospect, an exciting, youthful Rangers team? Now there’s a thought.