Pundit Gordon Dalziel doesn’t believe Rangers employ the Scotland national team’s best central defender right now.
Steve Clarke’s side are in action this international break as they prepare to take on the Netherlands on Friday night and Northern Ireland on Tuesday in friendly games.
It will provide the manager with a chance to experiment with his squad and perhaps get a clearer idea of a starting XI for the first game of Euro 2024 this summer against hosts Germany.
Scotland called up six natural centre-backs for the March double header, arguably seven if you include Kieran Tierney who operates mainly as a left centre-back for his country.
But a couple have dropped out since the initial squad announcement, with Grant Hanley and Scott McKenna pulling out due to injury problems.
It still leaves fierce competition for places at the back but the remaining defenders, such as Ryan Porteous and Jack Hendry, will be confident of getting two starts over against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.
Rangers star John Souttar certainly falls into that category too after a very good season on the whole for Philippe Clement’s title challengers.
Souttar has largely staved off his perennial injury issues and has played every minute in nine of the last 10 Scottish Premiership matches throughout a very busy schedule for Gers [Transfermarkt].
Former Rangers striker Kevin Kyle told the Open Goal podcast that Souttar is actually Scotland’s best centre-back at the moment and expects him to be a key player in the squad.
But do ex-Rangers stars Gordon Dalziel and Derek Ferguson agree? They also had their say on the matter.
Gordon Dalziel and Ferguson on John Souttar
Open Goal host Si Ferry brought the topic of conversation up after Kyle had stated Souttar was indeed Steve Clarke’s best central defender for Scotland.
Ferry asked Dalziel and Ferguson: “Where are your thoughts on Kev’s point that John Souttar is Scotland’s best centre-half? Would you agree with that?
Dalziel chipped in first with an almost instantaneous response by saying: “Hmm no, not for me.”
Ferguson hesitated then said: “He’s been in good form but…”
Dalziel stepped in again by stating: “I know (Grant) Hanley’s injured but I think Hanley has been great for us (Scotland). Aye, I think he’s been good for us.”
Ferguson posed this question: “Is there much to separate them? There’s not a lot between them.”
Ferry then rightly pointed out that Souttar is much better on the ball than Hanley to which Ferguson and Dalziel both agreed.
After minute’s digression, Dalziel said: “See with the Euros, we’re talking about who is the best centre-half, you’ve got to look at (Ryan) Porteous and (Kieran) Tierney will play as the two centre-halves.
“Hanley will play if he’s fit, but you’ve got maybe Souttar and Hendry. Tierney will play left, Porteous will probably play right and then you’ve got somebody who will play (in the middle) because he’ll (Clarke) play with a three, won’t he?
Ferry went back to speaking about Souttar specifically and noted that he was ‘excellent’ against Benfica despite Rangers losing the Europa League last 16 second leg against them 1-0 at Ibrox.
Ferguson then said: “Aye but there’s just wee moments with him, I’m trying to think of the game he caught in, the Motherwell game where he was naive and trying to dive in.
“But again I’m just picking up on a small thing, he’s had a good season. But when you’re going through all the (Scotland) centre-backs, Daz (Dalziel) mentioned a few there, there’s nothing between them.
“So who he’s (Clarke) going to be taking (to Euro 2024) is a toss of the coin really.”
