Derek Ferguson, the former Rangers attacker, is not the easiest man to please at times.
One of Philippe Clement’s most trusted lieutenants during the early weeks of 2025 is finding that out the hard way.
Because while the Rangers boss has been delighted with Ridvan Yilmaz’s adoption of a very unfamiliar right-back role of late, to say there are still rough edges to the Turkey international’s game would be an understatement.
Ridvan Yilmaz, at his best, is a buzzing ball of seemingly boundless energy and endeavour.
As Rangers hammered Celtic 3-0 on their first outing of the New Year, Yilmaz kept the fearsome Daizen Maeda quiet at one end while mustering a remarkable six shots, the most of any Gers player, at the other; his over-active left-boot raining machine gun fire on Kasper Schmeichel’s goal.
Yet, if that was Yilmaz at his best, then Rangers’ 1-1 draw at Dundee last week was Yilmaz at his worst. The gap between his floor and his ceiling remains as wide that of the Notre Dame. Ridvan Yilmaz endured a ‘night to forget’ at Dens Park, and he didn’t fare much better even as Rangers swept aside Aberdeen six days later.
Derek Ferguson not convinced by Rangers’ full-back Ridvan Yilmaz
On a night of so many stand-out performances, Rangers News handed Yilmaz a match rating of just 5/10. The lowest of any player.
Because, while he did improve after the interval, the first half was a masterclass in how not to use possession. Countless aimless passes punted out of play, and even the simpler ones missing the target.
As such, Ferguson is not getting carried away even as the £3.5 million signing from Besiktas earns himself a place in Clement’s heart, and his team sheet.
“I think there’s better out there,” Ferguson argues. “There’s even better in Scottish football!”
Given the chance, Ferguson would swap Yilmaz for James Penrice, the talented left-back who swapped Livingston for Hearts over the summer.
“Penrice [is superior to Yilmaz]. There’s a few others,” Ferguson adds. “I think he makes too many mistakes.”
Hearts ace James Penrice has already been tipped for Rangers
Interestingly, James Penrice was reportedly a Rangers target back in 2023. The late-blooming 26-year-old has been one of Hearts’ stand-out performers as Neil Critchley threatens to turn around a dismal start to the campaign, providing two goals and two assists in the last eight Premiership matches.
Heart of Midlothian, who sacked Rangers hero Steven Naismith in the autumn, have lost just two of those games, even if they are still stuck in eleventh place.
Penrice’s former Livingston coach David Martindale could not speak highly enough of the one-time Partick Thistle man, meanwhile. Martindale can envisage a future at Rangers for Penrice too, somewhere down the line.
“He’s worked really, really hard at the defensive side of his game,” Martindale said. “For me, I genuinely think Hearts have ‘won a watch’ with him. This is me being really, really honest. And people will maybe laugh at this, but I can see James playing for Rangers. I can see James playing for Celtic.
“That’s how highly I rate him. He can look after the ball. Hearts are a top-three club so he wouldn’t look out of place playing for anyone in the top three in my opinion.”
