Celtic legend Chris Sutton is picking out the ‘really clever’ Kieran Dowell as one to keep an eye on as Mick Beale’s Rangers look to snatch the Scottish Premiership crown off the heads of their Old Firm rivals.
Amid all the excitement that followed the £5 million signing of Danilo, not to mention the arrivals of the prolific Cyriel Dessers, England international Jack Butland and the one-time Manchester United target Abdallah Sima, Kieran Dowell has slipped somewhat under the radar.
Out of contract at Norwich City, the former Everton youngster did not join Rangers for a sizeable, headline-grabbing fee. He is, perhaps, less of a game-changer, but more an intelligent, low-cost addition to Beale’s squad.
Former Rangers hitman Kenny Miller even believes that Dowell would struggle to command a place in Rangers’ starting XI if – as expected – Jose Cifuentes is unveiled before the September deadline.
Rangers sign Kieran Dowell from Norwich City
Sutton, however, is perhaps better placed to pass judgement on the man who inherits Alfredo Morelos’ number 20 shirt at Ibrox. And he sees no reason why Dowell, a versatile, stylish central midfielder, cannot make a similar impact in his new Glasgow home to one-time Norwich team-mate Todd Cantwell.
“I know Kieran Dowell pretty well from the last three years at Norwich,” Sutton, who himself spent a number of seasons in East Anglia, tells Football Scotland.
“He’s a really clever footballer. A good technician.”
Dowell became Rangers’ first signing of a hectic summer at the end of May. With Cifuentes yet to arrive and with Glen Kamara now training on his own ahead of a potential move to Leeds United, there may be a place for the former England U21 ace in Beale’s engine room during Saturday’s Scottish Premiership opener away to Kilmarnock.
“I first came across Kieran when I went to Liverpool. He was across the city at Everton,” Beale says of Dowell, who should add some balance to the Rangers midfield.
“I watched him come through at Everton. He’s a player I like a lot.
“I like lefties. We’ve missed a lefty in midfield since we lost Joe Aribo. Similarly to Todd, he can play in the midfield or the upper line. I really like him, and I think he’ll really kick on at Rangers.
“He’ll be a player that will be seen as a very good signing over time. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
