If you want to become one of the world’s best in your position – as arguably Rangers’ most influential player surely does – then discovering a knack for sticking the ball in the back of the net never tends to do any harm.
Take Matt O’Riley, for instance.
While the former Celtic talisman has a long way to go yet before he can be considered an elite talent in European football, his emergence as the finest goalscoring midfielder in Scotland certainly set him on the right path.
O’Riley scored only seven goals in his first 54 Premiership appearances. But, in his final season as a Celtic player, he netted 18 in 37.
A tally which not only earned O’Riley The Hoops’ Players Player of the Year award, it also paved the way for his £25 million switch to Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.
Now, Nico Raskin is very unlikely to ever bother the Golden Boot charts at Rangers. He is just not that type of player. More of a ball-winning, all-action shuttler than a prancing playmaker like O’Riley.
Yet, as demonstrated at Parkhead when Raskin produced the most complete display of his Rangers career so far, the Belgian’s boundless energy reserves and box-to-box engine means he does have a lot to offer when given the freedom to bomb on.
Barry Ferguson urged to encourage Nico Raskin’s goalscoring potential at Rangers
Raskin is in ‘the form of his life’ right now, and opened the scoring with a clever near-post header away to Celtic.
He then set up the second. With Connor Barron holding fort behind him, the former Standard Liege man drove forward and flicked James Tavernier’s cross into the path of a grateful Mohamed Diomande.
For Gordon Dalziel, a former Rangers forward, it is probably no coincidence that Raskin appears to be popping up in the final third a little more frequently since the appointment of Barry Ferguson as the club’s interim coach.
“I think they are encouraging him now. When you looked at Raskin, when he came in at first, he was that guy in the middle of the park that would just try and go win the ball. That was his job; A ball-winner,” Dalziel recalls. “Sit there, protect it, defend it, and give it to people who can go and play.
“He has added so much to his game now, and he’s in good form. Obviously, his call-up to the Belgium squad gives you so much confidence. He is starting to get forward.
“I think that is coming from the coaching staff. I think they are basically saying; ‘Look, there is more to your game and you’ve got to go and show it’. And he’s getting rewarded.
“A good header at the weekend. I’ve always liked him but I think he is now showing his best form.”
Raskin told to follow Matt O’Riley’s lead at Celtic
Ferguson himself went through a similar transformation in his own playing days. The former Gers captain scored 17 goals across four seasons between 1998 and 2002. He moved to a more advanced role under Alex McLeish, though, and then found the target 18 times in one campaign.
Raskin is never going to score quite as frequently. Lest we forget, Ferguson was Rangers’ penalty taker in that prolific 2002/03 campaign too. Yet, the point still stands.
A man with only three goals in 86 appearances can provide a whole lot more.
“There is still a bit to go. And I’m sure Barry Ferguson, one of the best midfielders in Scotland, is just giving him wee tips here and there. Encourage him rather than just being that sitting player, go and add more to your game,” Dalziel adds.
“If you’re a midfielder, the one thing that helps as well, if you add goals.
“If you want to play at such a high level, a midfield player has got to score goals. You look at Matt O’Riley, for example. When Brendan Rodgers came back, all of a sudden he was put forward a bit, he was encouraged to get on the end of things.
“He was banging in goals, and Celtic were rewarded with £25 million. I think Raskin is in that position, where the coaching staff will be encouraging him.
‘Look, if you are going to go to the top, you have to add goals to your game’.”
