All through Steven Gerard’s tenure as Rangers manager, he seemed intent in adding a genuine number eight to his midfield group.
Current Gers boss Philippe Clement has signed Mohamed Diomande but the current Al Ettifaq manager wasn’t afforded the same luxury despite several attempts.
One player who Rangers seemed certain to sign was Joe Rothwell who, after a difficult time in the Premier League, is now showing what he is capable of out on loan with a screamer for Southampton.
Rangers linked Joe Rothwell shows what Gerrard missed
The 29-year old looked like exactly the type of player that Gerrard was looking for, someone who was capable of adding goals and assists from a deeper position.
After struggling to make an impact at Bournemouth though, the former Man Utd academy prospect is now back in the Championship.
Once linked with the Rangers job, Russell Martin has got the Saints flying high at the sharp end of England’s second tier with a 5-3 win over Huddersfield the latest example of the brand of football he is trying to impart.
Joe Rothwell, known for his goal scoring prowess at Blackburn Rovers which first drew Rangers attention, is already proving to be a shrewd addition.
Two goals at St Mary’s saw him play a key role in the win with this volley surely a contender for goal of the season.
Until Todd Cantwell moved high up in his number ten role, Rangers haven’t been able to find someone capable of chipping in with numbers from midfield.
The last title winning campaign saw Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi contribute but most of their best work was done higher up the park.
There was a reason why Rangers were trying to sign players like Joe Rothwell, someone who clearly wanted to come to the club, and who could score from long range when nothing else was on.
Maybe Diomande is going to be closer to the type of player we have yearned so long for.
