Rangers defender Russell Martin is looking to extend his stay at the Ibrox Stadium. According to recent reports, the Gers centre-back is ready to pen a new deal with the Glaswegian club. He signed for Graeme Murty’s side on a loan deal from Norwich City during the January transfer period and has quickly become an integral part of the Teddy Bears defence in the second half of this campaign.
Martin is expected to feature for the Gers in their crucial Scottish Cup semi-final tie versus Celtic on Sunday. He has also put in some solid displays at the Ibrox Stadium this season, helping his side climb to the second spot in the Scottish Premiership table. In a recent interview, the Brighton-born centre-back was quoted to have said, “The powers that be here know what I want.
“They see what I have added, not just on the pitch, but off it as well, which is a big thing. It won’t be my decision.
“Hopefully I will have a decision to make in the summer. I am still contracted to Norwich.
“There will be lots of ifs, buts and maybes, but my intention has been the same since I started here – to prove that I am worthy of staying here. Games like this will only help that by playing well.
“I have left it to my agent mostly. I speak to Mark when I see him and I obviously speak to the manager quite regularly.
“I think they are fairly satisfied with what I have brought on the pitch, especially off it as well.
“There is loads of room for improvement as a team, myself included, but I think we have done alright. I’ve been in for [ten] league games and kept four clean sheets.
“Apart from the Hamilton debacle, I am quite satisfied with how I am playing. I think I have got better.
“The injury was a bit of a setback but I felt good on Saturday, I played well and I need to carry that into this one.
“I am quite relaxed about it. I’m experienced enough to know that things in football can change quite quickly, but they know my intentions and I’ve got good relationships with the people here in the short time I’ve been here.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. I just need to play well on the pitch. It’s as simple as that.”
The Glaswegian giants are currently sitting in the second position in the league table with a tally of 62 points in 33 league matches. They are still in with a great chance of winning the Scottish Cup if they can find a way to beat their local rivals Celtic tomorrow.
Retaining some of their top players could go a long way in helping them close the gap to the Hoops in the coming years. Martin has made 10 appearances for the Gers in the Scottish Premiership this term, scoring one goal so far in this campaign. He has a wealth of experience in English football and has proven himself at the highest level. At 32, Martin still has a few years left in him to play at the top level which the Teddy Bears could look to capitalise on.
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It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Martin and whether he ends up penning a new deal at the Ibrox Stadium in the near future.
