Greg Docherty hasn’t made an appearance for Rangers since the 18th of August.
On that day, he struggled to make an impact after being included in the starting XI in the Second Round of the League Cup against East Fife at Methil.
It seems that was a major turning point for Steven Gerrard, who had used the 23-year-old regularly in pre-season and in the early rounds of Europa League qualifying.
Since then, he hasn’t made a single matchday squad. That’s 19 games in a row where the manager hasn’t even included him on the bench [Transfermarkt].
It’s an unfortunate situation for a player who realised a lifelong dream by signing for the Gers back in January 2018.
He has suffered for not being one of the manager’s own signings and for playing in the position in which the squad is strongest.
There are three spots in midfield available in any given starting XI and at least one spot on the bench for a central player. Yet, there are six players ahead of him at present in Ryan Jack, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo, Scott Arfield and Andy King, although the Leicester City loanee has endured a comparable lack of playing time.
Things are looking bleak and you have to think that unless he can somehow break through and prove his worth soon, he will be sold.
Docherty is rated at £675k by Transfermarkt and will still have two-and-a-half years left on his deal by January, meaning the club stands a good chance of earning a fee for his sale.
Consequently, it would make sense for him to be offloaded if the present situation continued.
For the player himself, as a boyhood fan, there’s bound to be a great degree of loyalty towards the club.
Yet, at his age he’ll be itching to play week in week out and there’s bound to be interest in him from south of the border.
The midfielder was voted Player of the Year whilst on loan at Shrewsbury Town in EFL League One last season and will have no doubt have impressed many bigger club’s along the way.
Right now, a January exit looks close to inevitable.
Yet, the window is still a month and a half away, and if Docherty sticks at it in training and others suffer injuries, there’s still a chance he could get a final chance to change his manager’s mind. It isn’t over till it’s over.
