Former Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty, who currently plies his trade for Hearts, has been linked with a move back to the Ibrox Stadium. The striker is already popular among the Gers faithful as he has scored the only goal for Hearts against Celtic which had handed Brendan Rodgers’ side their first defeat in the second game itself. With the transfer window close to coming to an end, Steven Gerrard would have to move in quick to secure the services of this experienced Northern Irish forward.
In his first spell at Rangers from 2008-2012, Lafferty managed just 38 goals. Last season for Hearts, he had scored 19, and one can easily say that currently, he is in the form of his life. His performance at the international level has also been decent, and the Light Blues would benefit if they manage to land the 30-year-old forward.
Gerrard was even quoted as saying,”He’s a great player, I like him a lot.”
So one shouldn’t be surprised if the striker is back at Glasgow by the end of the transfer period. Gers currently have Alfredo Morelos as their primary strike option, and apart from him, they have Umar Sadiq who is on loan from AS Roma. The 21-year-old Sadiq has looked rusty, and it is clear that he would take time to get used to the dynamics of the Scottish League. So that leaves Alfredo Morelos as the main strike force. With Rangers close to securing a place in the Europa League, they would have extra fixtures to contend with, and that is where squad depth comes into the picture.
Experience And Versatility
At the age of 30, one usually see players fizzle out but not Lafferty, who is enjoying a purple patch in his career. With Morelos and Sadiq both exceedingly young, Gerrard would definitely have a use for an experienced man like the Northern Irishman in the squad. He will not be expected to start every week but can play a crucial role in coming off the bench and starting games now and then.
Apart from that, he can play out wide, so his versatility would be a bonus for Gerrard. Along with all that, Lafferty seems to love big occasions as we often see him pick up his game when he plays in crunch games. He has a knack of scoring in big games and Gerrard would love a man like him in the squad.
With experience, the Northern Irishman has improved a lot regarding finishing, and he is usually in the right place at the right time to score goals. Along with his footballing abilities, having an experienced and calm head in the dressing room is also going to be an added advantage.
Verdict!
We often see Morelos letting the heat of the moment get the better of himself. He has been doing well, but there were phases last season where he looked out of touch. Gerrard and Rangers would not want to pay much for Lafferty as the player is likely to have a poor resale value after a season or two. However, despite that, we feel there is a genuine place for the 30-year-old in the Teddy Bears squad right now.
