Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been asking several players in the Gers ranks to step up and become leaders at Ibrox.
John Souttar is one player who is unequivocally answering the call.
The Scotland international was once again crucial on national team duties, standing out for Steve Clarke’s side in the clashes with Croatia and Poland.
Souttar’s matchwinning Scotland contribution in Warsaw wasn’t missed either.
It comes with the Rangers defender, who is now 28, playing the most consistent and high-level football of his career at Ibrox.
It’s making a big different and Philippe Clement singled John Souttar out for the immense strides he’s taking for Rangers and Scotland in a glowing appraisal.
John Souttar ‘making really big steps’ at Rangers
“John Souttar played two really impressive games (for Scotland) again,” Clement told the press ahead of the clash with Dundee United.
“I think everybody’s seeing he’s making really big steps forward for the last couple of months in every sense of football, and as a personality also, so it’s a really good thing for the club and for all of us.
“He showed that in training and in games also. But John is one of the boys who learns a lot because he’s so hungry to become better. And he’s one of the examples in that way.
“Staying after training, working on his weaker points. I call it always working points instead of weaker points to work on that to become better and better and better.
“And that’s what we’ve seen in this past year. He was not that kind of player one year ago.
“And if he continues like this with the same mentality, which I don’t have any doubt about, he will only grow in the next couple of years also.
“But it’s important also that he gets this praise that he gets now. In Scotland, it will help his confidence also. And to become a better and better player. I think it’s good for us and it’s good for Scottish football.”
Rangers defender tight-lipped on new contract
Philippe Clement’s praise of John Souttar comes amid reports the Rangers defender is set to be handed a new contract.
John Souttar signed a four-year deal with Rangers when he joined on a pre-contract from Hearts in the summer of 2022 and he is developing into one of the club’s key players.
Earmarked as a future captain, reports back in August claimed Rangers are hoping to sign Souttar down on a new contract.
As of yet there’s been no official movement, but Nils Koppen has previously described John Souttar as ‘super important’ and pointed to tying the defender down on the long-term.
The Rangers defender himself has previously been pressed on the situation and – ever the professional – insists he’s just focused on playing football.
“To be honest, I just leave that to people behind the scenes,” Souttar told reporters in October.
“I’m not taking much to do with that. I’m just concentrating on playing every single week and training hard every single day and preparing for the big month we’ve got coming up.”
