Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has praised Borna Barisic, as quoted by the Rangers Twitter account.
The 26-year-old was left out against Livingston at the weekend, but handed a start on Thursday evening, for the crunch Europa League opener against Feyenoord.
In the early stages, it looked like he was going to have a tough night, as the opposition’s most celebrated player, Steven Berghuis, nipped past him with ease on a couple of occasions.
Yet, after settling into the game, he contributed well in both defence and attack.
Rangers boss lauds Barisic
“Borna was outstanding last night, he is the Croatian left-back and he is used to these high-pressure games,” said Gerrard, as quoted by the Rangers Twitter. “He is very highly respected by the staff and in the dressing room.”
It has been a mystery for some time for Bears, that Barisic can perform so impressively at international level, yet struggle to nail down a spot at Ibrox. By the end of last season, plenty of frustrated fans said they had seen enough.
However, last night, he showed exactly what he was capable of.
For once, Rangers had an outlet down the left, as well as the right, and his committed effort in the 50/50 with Rick Karsdrop is what led directly to Sheyi Ojo’s decisive goal.
Importantly, he looked comfortable and decisive both with his decision-making at the back and whilst on the ball.
If he can build on this display, surely he’ll retain his spot ahead of Jon Flanagan, when the ex-Liverpool defender returns from injury.
Receive a digest of our best Rangers content each week direct to your mailbox
