You’ll excuse Rangers fans for having a sense of trepidation when it comes to Brazilian striker Danilo.
The 25-year-old hitman is still working his way back from a lengthy injury lay-off which kept him out of competitive action for the best part of nine months.
That’s not exactly what the ex-Feyenoord hitman would’ve envisaged after a £6m switch to Rangers last summer.
Returning to the Ibrox fold in the 2-0 Premier Sports Cup victory over St Johnstone, given the gloom over Govan the positivity of Danilo’s recovery was perhaps lost.
But the striker’s medical history – stemming back to a brutal facial injury sustained against the same opposition last season – ensures the club’s support aren’t ready to get carried away.
Now, Danilo has urged patience as the deeply religious hitman quotes a verse from the Bible and reaffirms his commitment to getting back to his best.
Danilo urges patience following Rangers return
There was enough in the first-half showing against the Perthshire club, where Danilo might’ve had a hat-trick, to suggest the striker will get chances at Rangers.
But until the Brazilian starts putting the opportunities away, the jury will remain out with the Rangers support amongst football’s harshest judges.
Undeterred and characteristically defiant, Danilo has taken to social media to send a reminder to the Rangers support to stick with him as the striker works his way back to fitness.
The post quotes Romans 8:25: but if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Can Brazilian striker be Ibrox difference-maker?
Danilo is something of a forgotten quantity at Rangers given the striker has never been fit enough to really make a consistent impact at the club.
But prior to that serious injury sustained against Hearts in December, the striker did show flashes of his quality and why Rangers put up such a substantial outlay for the hitman.
Netting six goals and laying on five assists in 21 appearances (ten starts), Danilo was averaging a goal every 166 minutes or so for the Gers before the injury.
Rangers fans will be hoping that the Ibrox club can begin to see the best of the Brazilian in the weeks ahead and there is cause for optimism when it comes to the forward.
Danilo has already shown huge mental strength to come back from the injury and return to the first-team.
The next challenge is returning to his best on the park and proving a difference maker for Rangers with supporters still to be convinced.
