Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on midfielder Steven Davis as he approaches Pat Jennings’ 119-cap record for Northern Ireland.
The Ulsterman is likely to match the record in the match against Norway at Windsor Park on what promises to be a special night for the former Ibrox captain.
Gerrard brought Davis back to Ibrox for a second spell the season before last and as he paid tribute to the player’s attitude, he also described a move for the playmaker as a “no-brainer”.
“I have got nothing but admiration for Steven,” Gerrard told BBC Radio Ulster show Sportsound Extra Time.
“It would be a magnificent achievement for him to equal the record.
“From someone who knows what you have to sacrifice to get to those sort of numbers, he deserves a lot of credit and all the plaudits that will come his way.
“It just goes to show the standards he sets himself on a daily basis.
“He’s been extremely important, both on and off the pitch (for Rangers). He’s so low maintenance, he manages himself, really.
“He hadn’t played too much before he joined but once he settled in and got himself up to speed, his performances have been top-class. He has been one of my most consistent performers.
“One of the major reasons I wanted to get him in was that I had experienced playing against him first-hand. I had competed against him and got to know how he carries himself in battle.
“I knew what he was going to bring.
“I had obviously watched him up at Rangers before and knew that he could handle the crowd.
“There were a lot of advantages of bringing him in – it was a ‘no-brainer’ for me to make it happen as soon as I could.
“With some signings you have to take certain risks, but I knew signing Steven had no risk attached at all. You speak to people around him and they tell you he is still in fantastic shape.”
As well as closing in on the Northern Ireland all-time cap record, midfielder Davo is also only seven caps away from matching Peter Shilton’s long-standing British cap record.
The legendary England goalkeeper boasts an impressive 125 caps which Davis could well realistically beat within the next 12 months.
Steven Gerrard – who has 114 caps for England, believes that it’s an honour befitting the 35-year-old midfielder.
“First and foremost he’s a top human being. He’s a lovely lad who goes about his work in a professional way, so it would be fitting if he goes on and breaks it [the British cap record],” said Gerrard.
“From a selfish point of view, every manager gets nervous when their players go off on international duty, but he deserves it because of all the hard work he’s put in.”
Steven Davis is in his second spell at Ibrox having already turned out for the club between 2008 and 2012, winning eight trophies as well as being a part of the team which reached the UEFA Cup Final.
Davis has now made close to 300 appearance for Rangers and returned to club initially on loan from Southampton in January 2019.
