Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard’s first ever stint as a manager is already up and running. The English gaffer has already added four players to his squad for the next season, but is no closer to being done and continues to be linked with a number of star players for a move this summer.
The Scottish giants have failed to keep up in the race to the league title and will now want Gerrard to add some quality to their first team, to help compete with Brendan Rodgers’ side next season. And one such player that has now completed his move to Ibrox is Nikola Katic.
Born and brought up in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 21-year old started his senior career with NK Neretvanac Opuzen, the biggest club in Dubrovnik, a city in Croatia. He spent just a season at the club in the third tier in the country, picking up 13 goals in 39 assists, before he was shipped off to Slaven Belupo, a top-flight outfit in the country.
He showed great consistency in his first season at the club and backed it up with an impressive return of 3 goals and an assist in 36 games across all competitions. At just 21, he has already broken into the national side, and though is not a part of the squad in Russia, is touted as the future of the Croatian national team.
A centre-back by trait, he has shown great confidence in his abilities and is usually pro-active, looking to keep his side on the front foot. He is ready for the next step in his career and revealed that he would ‘run all the way to Glasgow’ to play for Steven Gerrard.
‘It’s a big pleasure to be here at this big club, one of the biggest in Europe and in the world,’ said Katic.’It’s good to be here. It’s a big step for me. When they told me Steven Gerrard wanted to take me, I said to my agent I’d get my shoes on and run to Scotland,” he said, after signing the deal.
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He passed his medical earlier this week and has signed a deal that will cost Rangers up to £1.5m and for his potential, he is an absolute steal.
He is not expected to walk into the first team, especially with Connor Goldson closing in on a move to Rangers. The Brighton star is more established than Katic, who could act as the understudy in the upcoming season.
He has all the making to be a hit in the Scottish league and at just 21, has an exciting future ahead of him.
