Rangers don’t appear to be resting on any laurels that may have come with winning title number 55 with preparations well under way for next season.
The forward line has seen Fashion Sakala with Jermain Defoe also committing to another season and taking his first official steps into coaching, something former Ger, Alan Hutton feels is a masterstroke, as reported by Football Insider:
“You think of a young player or a young striker coming through with Jermain Defoe.
“He’s done it at all levels for such a long period of time. Imagine learning off him daily in training.
“I think that’s probably one of the biggest things about this whole situation. Him being able to pass down his knowledge to the strikers who are coming through at Rangers.
“He has always been a popular guy. No matter where he has been or what he has done. Jermain’s got a great attitude towards the game, he’s very approachable.
“These are all things that I think you need when you’re talking about coaching. I can guarantee he’s got relationships with all the younger players, all the boys that come through from the youth team.
“He’s not got a big ego, he’s willing to help these sort of people move forward in their own career. These are the guys you need within your team and coaching team. I think he’ll thrive in that environment.”
Defoe is a class act, that he has a goal every 90 minutes in his time at Rangers is just ridiculous, but it speaks volumes that at nearly 39-years old, he still has the professionalism to be an asset for Steven Gerrard as and when he is required, something that – as Hutton rightly says – will allow him to “thrive” in the Auchenhowie environment.