Niko Katic gave an interview this week in which he spoke of a daily struggle as well as a belief that he has what it takes to play at Ibrox.
The sentiment is no surprise from the towering Croatian defender and is a reflection of the type of player that he is – honest, committed, courageous but in terms of his Rangers career, the hope and aspiration for more to come is destined to be a late expression of defiance.
For all his physical attributes, ability in the air and other qualities, Katic lacks the technique and the skill with the ball at his feet to be a Rangers regular under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. That is expected to become clear in the coming days.
The central defender was speaking to Sportske Novosti on his next steps:
“I have a contract, I played some matches during the preparations, some I didn’t. There are a lot of us, there is strong competition, but as everywhere, the struggle is day by day.”
“I think I have the quality to play for Rangers, but of course it all depends on the coach, we’ll see. That’s all I can say, I can’t say whether I’ll stay at Rangers or not, whether I’ll sign a new contract or not but I definitely believe in my qualities.”
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In the same interview, Katic spoke of his satisfaction at the loan experience last season with Hajduk Split. A return had been mooted but the apparent value of £1.5million was deemed to be too expensive for the Croatian club.
GvB stated earlier this week that he would be speaking to players on the fringes in terms of their futures and what is best for them. At 25, Niko Katic has to be playing regular first team football for the sake of his career.
Options could appear in England or elsewhere, but when his departure comes, he will always be fondly remembered for that goal at Parkhead, in particular.