Rangers’ Jon Flanagan could have been the hometown hero for Liverpool if they had not ‘slipped’ the Premier League title in 2014. Once lauded as the ‘Scouse Cafu’, Flanagan’s career took a tumble amid injury nightmares. He remained at Liverpool until the summer of 2018 but was already a forgotten name who last made the headlines for assaulting his girlfriend on a night out.
The Reds could have handed him an instant dismissal, but they instead opted to educate and advise him on how to avoid such events in his final months at the club. Jurgen Klopp stood by him and Steven Gerrard, in the aftermath of his appointment as the Ibrox chief, handed his ex-teammate a lifeline to resurrect his dying career.
The 26-year-old did not disappoint in his debut season as he delivered a composed and towering performance while featuring as a left-back. The England international went to appear 30 times during the previous term and was preferred over Borna Barisic against Celtic in the latest Old Firm derby.
Future At Ibrox
He seems to be the one Gerrard trust the most, but injuries are hampering his game-time once again as he went under the knife for a second hernia operation after missing out the first three weeks of the campaign due to another surgery. The ongoing international break would see him sidelined for a lesser number of gameweeks, but these fitness constraints might jeopardise his Ibrox future. After all, Flanagan’s contract is set to expire at the end of this ongoing term.
Should He Be Handed A New Deal?
Flanagan is one of the Bears’ most experienced stars at the back and has been preferred over Barisic as well as Andy Halliday who impressed last season as a makeshift left-back. The Englishman used to be a right-back in his early days and would slot in there to replace skipper James Tavernier if required later in the campaign.
But the Light Blues must wait a while before handing him new terms as his fitness needs to be monitored, particularly after the second surgery within months of the previous one. The once-promising Englishman is trying his best to settle in Scotland, but fortune has not been on his side for a while now irrespective of his on and off the pitch incidents.
The clock is ticking, and the player must make one last attempt to sort it out by proving his worth in Rangers’ momentous battle of reclaiming their lost status from Celtic.
