When Rangers defender Jack Simpson was turning out against the Premier League champions Liverpool last season he probably didn’t expect little over a year later he’d be toiling in Perth.
The big defender, 24, joined Rangers in January and was given a bit of a rude awakening in Scotland as an enthusiastic and physical St Johnstone side earned a draw against a much-changed Gers team.
Simpson – who has been a long-term target of Steven Gerrard’s – came through the youth ranks at Bournemouth and played eleven times for the club in total in the English top tier.
His last match in the Premier League came away to Liverpool at Anfield last season in a campaign which saw the Reds crowned Champions and Bournemouth relegated.
Now the former England U21 international is at Ibrox and following a pre-contract deal joined the Gers on loan from January to kickstart his Scottish adventure early.
Simpson – who has been used sparingly in a competitive Rangers backline since joining – certainly won’t forget his first start in a Gers shirt in a hurry.
St Johnstone have punched above their weight all season and gave the defender a torrid time throughout the match, the frenetic and physical nature of Scottish football something Simpson will have to get used to quickly.
These games are essential to young players coming from down south, the hare and scare nature of the Scottish game something which has caught players from more esteemed backgrounds than Simpson out before.
Simpson’s match could’ve certainly gone very differently and after completely mis-heading an opportunity from a corner in the first half, the final act of the game summed up what was a difficult night for the defender.
The ex-Bournemouth lad clumsily raised his leg to challenge with Saints forward Chris Kane in close proximity, giving away a penalty which handed two points to the McDiarmid Park club.
Simpson was lucky that he hadn’t given one away previously after he half handball half chested the ball in the box in the second half
The defender needs this sort of experience to help blood him in the Scottish game and Simpson will certainly be the better for it.
But if he hadn’t got the message before now, north of the border you don’t get anything against anyone without earning it.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard revealed after the match that the club actually ditched a long-held Ibrox mantra which has defined the season prior to the Saints clash.
