There is a quite staggering statistic that has been doing the rounds on social media over the weekend and it features our very own Peter Pan – Jermain Defoe.
In 29 starts for Rangers he has an incredible 28 goals and 10 assists, obviously he has made substitute appearances too but these figures paint a picture that belies his 38 years – this season alone he has three goals and two assists in a little over 300 minutes.
Despite his age, Defoe is keeping Alfredo Morelos honest in that any drop in form could see the Englishman take his place for the “bigger” domestic games, the over reliance on the Colombian international is a thing of the past.
Against Livingston and Falkirk we have seen exactly what he is still capable of, the extra work he is doing in the gym means that he is still sharp – not as quick as he was in his 20s but he had plenty of pace to lose – and capable of scoring goals that few, if any other strikers in the country are capable of.
As football fans we are always keen to see teenagers like Ciaran Dickson and Leon King make appearances but are quick to write players off based purely on their age, but when we look at our most regular veterans – Defoe, Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Leon Balogun – they have all been stand-outs since the season began, there is a place for them if used properly and they fit the profile needed for their position.
We all knew about Defoe’s qualities when he first arrived on loan from Bournemouth but there won’t have been many who would have expected the figures that he is producing, his ability to come in from the cold to give Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe a breather is proving invaluable with such a packed fixture list.
If only he was five, or ten years younger…..