Rangers have now completed (BBC) a deal for American international Matt Polster. Steven Gerrard had brought the former Chicago Fire fullback on trial, and the versatile player had impressed the manager during his trial. The 25-year-old’s contract with the MLS outfit expired at the beginning of this year and Rangers have agreed on a two and a half year deal for the defender.
Polster even travelled with the Gers first team to Tenerife during the winter break and since then, it has been quite evident that the Bears would offer him a contract. We don’t expect the right back to have a major impact in the first team soon and it is likely that he is being seen as a squad player.
Gerrard had brought Polster and Andrew Gutman on trial together. Gutman was close to signing for Celtic, but the deal seems to be off (The Scottish Sun) as of now. Polster, on the other hand, is known to be a lifelong Liverpool fan and considers Steven Gerrard as his idol as evident from this Instagram picture which was taken by the defender in 2016 when Gerrard played against him during his LA Galaxy days.
The defender has the experience of playing over 90 games for the American outfit, but this would be the most significant break of his footballing career. Polster might have to wait for his chances this season as the Bears have the likes of James Tavernier and Jon Flanagan as options for the right-back spot.
The American international can even fill in as a midfielder when required, but even there the Gers are well covered. Maybe Gerrard is preparing for a contingency plan for the future as James Tavernier is being targetted (Daily Star) by various clubs and a multi-million-pound deal might be sanctioned by the Bears in the future for him (Our opinion). That might make Flanagan the first choice right back, and Polster can move up the pecking order to be the second choice.
Gerrard has made plenty of signings ever since he took over at the club, but most of them have been shrewd and hadn’t cost a penny. Adjusting to a new league would be tough for Polster, but Gerrard would have definitely seen something in him before offering a contract. Hopefully, the player can prove the manager right in the next few months.
