Manager Mark Warburton has been speaking of his delight at capturing Bournemouth youngster Emerson Hyndman on a loan spell for the remainder of the 2016/17 campaign.
With Rangers securing the USA international on a loan deal until the end of the current campaign yesterday, Warburton thanked Bournemouth and Eddie Howe for being open to the deal and he also spoke about why the 20 year old was an attractive proposition for him.
Namely he’d already demonstrated he had character and balls by leaving the US at 15 to chase his football dream.
Speaking to the Official Site after the signing was announced, Warburton said of the native 20 year old Texan.
‘I watched him at Fulham, a really courageous boy, and I had dinner with him last night. For a boy at 15 to leave Dallas, his home and mum and dad, and come over to Europe and have trials around big clubs – the Sporting Lisbons, Liverpools, Newcastles – you have to have real character, a strength of character, to do that and to make the decision to move to London with Fulham. He had four of five offers on the table in different countries, he made a decision and he adapted to it really well.’
Speaking about his characteristics as a player, clearly he’s somebody Warburton has been aware of for the last few seasons.
‘He`s a very talented passer, a very talented playmaker and has a good attitude; slight in frame but a real robustness about what he does. He got an expensive move to Bournemouth and I know Eddie rates him very highly. All thanks to Bournemouth and Eddie as well because they were complimentary about our playing style here at Rangers and it was a big decision. He`s one of their young assets so we have got to look after that asset and fingers crossed send him back a better player.’
Having described him as a passer and playmaker, Warburton also went on to say that he’s got a good rounded game so it won’t just be offensively he helps us, he knows his defensive obligations as well.
‘Well again Eddie Howe has done an outstanding job at Bournemouth and he watches the player day in day out. He can be defensive, he can sit there and he can play in that role and supply and pass forward. But he can also play higher up; he can play the eight and create and score goals and get forward into the box. So he has the attributes, a very talented young player, highly rated by the U.S national team as well, so touch wood he has a really bright future in the game and we`re delighted to get him on board.’
Adding.
‘I`m looking forward to seeing Emerson play and he knows the challenge. No one walks in and there are no guarantees ever to anyone about the shirt, but he is hungry to come here and chatting to him last night I`m very pleased with his responses. He`s excited, he`s a young player coming to a club of this stature so you should be excited, and I`m sure he will add value to the squad.’
Warburton ended by saying that with a full week of training under his belt, he will hopefully debut in Sunday’s game against RB Leipzig.
‘Absolutely, he played an hour in the FA Cup for Bournemouth and travelled up here on Sunday. It`s been a whirlwind for him but he`s up, he trained well this morning, he`s in the squad and absolutely he`ll play some part in Leipzig.’
