Rangers, the Glasgow giants, might have returned to the top-tier of Scottish football last season, they, however, are still way behind their famous rivals Celtic FC as the rivalry has been pretty one-sided in recent years. The Hoops hold a firm dominance in all domestic competitions and are on course of repeating another treble-winning season similar to the previous one. The Gers were supposed to redefine a title challenge this term following last season’s promotion but could not to meet the expectations under Pedro Caixinha – the former boss who failed miserably with his tactics and transfers. He was succeeded by Graeme Murty and the ex-caretaker boss has brought back some sort of continuity in their game. His winter transfer business made an affirmative impact but their last month’s derby defeat at Ibrox exposed plenty of limitations in the current Rangers squad.
The Light Blues must concentrate on more recruits this summer who will not only add quality but also bring an experience of the very highest order in order to reconquer the lost throne. They might not be able to lure in top names of Europe due to financial concerns but should work on bringing in natives from abroad who have earned reputation in other leagues. One such name is Barry Douglas, the Scottish left-back, who is set to experience Premier League football next season with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wolves, under Nuno Espirito Santo, are currently on top of the Championship standings and close to earning a Premier League promotion for the upcoming campaign. Douglas has been an integral part of the high-flying second-tier outfit and performed week in week out in a left wingback role.
The profile of Premier League is hard to ignore, but an opportunity to return to his homeland after five long years might also be an enticing prospect at the age of 28. Rangers are lining up an exciting project to knock down Celtic as reconquering the league title will hand him an opportunity to feature in the prestigious Champions League competition which is undeniably every player’s dream and a much bigger platform if compared to the Premier League football.
Douglas will be entering the final 12 months of his deal but Wolves have an option to trigger a one-year extension. The player, however, will have to wait until the end of the season to know his future and the Gers have time to convince the Scotsman to be a part of their likely transformation. Although he has been used as a left wingback all season, Douglas holds strong defensive abilities which will enforce a resilience in Rangers’ backline. Skipper Lee Wallace’s increasing injury concerns left them with Declan John as the only available option who, despite showcasing his excellence going forward, is yet to earn manager’s trust due to the lack of defensive work-rate.
Scotland have an array of quality left-backs ( Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney) and Douglas has now joined the list earning his maiden senior cap a few days back against Hungary. He, previously, progressed through the youth ranks of Scottish lower league side Queen’s Park and flourished at Dundee United before joining Polish side Lech Poznan followed by a move to Super Lig outfit Konyaspor. This is his first campaign with Wolves where he has earned massive impression for his towering display down the left flank. The Light Blues will have an uphill task to snap up the Scotsman, but if they do, we can expect a better title battle in Scottish Premiership from next season onward.
