One-time Rangers transfer target Francis Amuzu has earned comparisons with the legendary Pele after scoring a wonderful goal for Anderlecht over the weekend.
The devastating finish which secured Anderlecht’s 3-1 Jupiler League victory over KV Mechelen certainly would not look out of place in a compilation of the iconic Brazilian’s best moments.
Francis Amuzu, linked with a move to Rangers on a number of occasions in previous windows, picked up the ball inside his own half, raced between two Mechelen defenders, and lobbed an unsuspecting goalkeeper from all of 40 yards.
“I said to myself; ‘You look like Pele! The goal he scored also fits into this context,” former Belgium international Franky van der Elst tells Extra Time, via Sporza, the likeness only enhanced by Anderlecht’s retro-themed kit.
“I know, it’s a nice comparison. But that’s what I thought.”
Rangers could have had Francis Amuzu for £3.5m
Amuzu, a jet-heeled winger who rose through the ranks in Anderlecht’s highly-respected academy, was reportedly on Rangers’ radar when he had a release clause worth just £3.5 million in his contract.
The Ghana-born Belgian would cost a damn sight more than that these days, his Mechelen masterclass adding a few more pounds onto his growing price-tag.
“He’s a fantastic guy. I knew him in the (Belgium) Under-19s,” Van der Elst adds. “He’s always ready to work. You can sometimes say a lot of things about what he could do better. But he never hides. He always continues to move forward.”
Rangers, without a manager following the sacking of Mick Beale, could soon be welcoming another man who – like Amuzu – made his name in Belgium. Former Club Brugge boss Philippe Clement appears to have emerged as the leading candidate to take the Rangers job, TEAMtalk reporting that he is already in London for talks and remains ‘extremely interested’ in the role.
Philippe Clement set for Rangers talks
“It’s a tough job, to come in and get Rangers up to a level that the fans expect,” former Gers boss Alex McLeish tells STV Sport.
“We know that you can get managers coming in and resurrecting the situation, but it is a tough job for anyone. And, if the recruitment is not right, then it makes it even more difficult.
“Philippe will definitely have the right mentality, with having that success behind him he will be confident. He’s young enough to come in and take the lead.”
