Rangers will have to be patient as they await the first sight of Lyall Cameron in that blue shirt but, for Ibrox icon Barry Ferguson, the incoming arrival from Dundee is worth the wait.
It was confirmed on deadline day that Lyall Cameron has joined Rangers on a pre-contract arrangement.
The Scotland Under-21 international will officially become a Gers player in the summer, after his contract at Dens Park expires.
One year after Rangers snapped up another of the Premiership’s standout homegrown talents – Connor Barron arrived from Aberdeen in a deal worth just £650,000 thanks to a fee decided by a tribunal – Lyall Cameron puts pen to paper on a similar arrangement.
And much to the relief of a man who knows what is required to thrive in the heart of the Rangers midfield, not to mention the Old Firm goldfish bowl.
Barry Ferguson ‘delighted’ as Rangers sign Dundee’s Lyall Cameron
“Delighted,” Ferguson tells Go Radio after Cameron’s transfer was made official. “He’s a player we have spoken about many of times.”
Presuming Cameron can emulate the impact of a former Dundee teammate in Glasgow, Philippe Clement has got himself a very useful addition.
Rangers have been criticised for failing to pursue Luke McCowan before his bargain £1 million switch to Celtic. A deal to bring in Cameron, while fighting off competition from rivals Aberdeen, should ease the concerns of those worried that Rangers were letting some of the best young Scottish talent around slip through their fingers.
“Obviously it was Lyall and Luke McCowan, who has went to Celtic in the summer, they two were standouts last season [for Dundee]. Again, [Cameron] has just carried that form on and I think it is a brilliant piece of business,” smiles Ferguson, a five time Premiership champion during two spells at Ibrox.
“I’ve seen him plenty of times and I think he’s good enough to play at a club like Rangers. There is no doubt in my mind. 22 years of age, still his best football years in front of him and it is great to see that Rangers are looking at homegrown players from other teams.
“He certainly fits that bracket. I am excited to see him come in the summer. Rangers have managed to seal that deal and, as I said, I am absolutely delighted because I think he can become a very important player for Rangers.”
Nils Koppen hails ‘hugely important’ Cameron deal
Cameron will face no shortage of competition in a squad containing Mohamed Diomande, Nico Raskin and the aforementioned Barron. What he will add, however, is a box-crashing, goal-scoring streak. Something none of Rangers’ current midfielders – perhaps aside from Diomande – are capable of providing.
Cameron has eight goals for Dundee this season. More than Diomande, Raskin and Barron [six] have managed between them.
Technical director Nils Koppen is determined to make Rangers home to exciting, young talent with considerable promise and re-sale potential. Cameron, still only 22, follows in the footsteps of Hamza Igamane, Jefte, Barron and January recruit Rafael Fernandes.
“I am delighted that we have agreed a deal for Lyall to join the club and to continue his career at Rangers come the summer,” Koppen says. “He is a talented young player, who has already gained great experience in the Scottish Premiership.
“Adding young, Scottish talent to our first-team squad is hugely important to all of us at the club. Lyall has a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow at Rangers in the coming years.”
