There’s a certain type of Rangers argument that never really goes away. A player gets used in one role because it suits the squad at the time, but you can see something else in him. A different ceiling. For me, the big one is the left-back who always looked like he was built to be a left-sided centre-half.
I remember saying it when he was still filling in at left-back for us: he had all the attributes to be one of the best left-sided centre backs in Europe. Not “he’ll be decent”, not “he could do a job”. Proper top level potential. And aye, I got the usual response. Folk scoffing, folk asking what qualifies you to spot a player, folk acting as if it’s a crime to back your own judgement.
Why the centre-back signs were always there
Even when he was playing wide, the giveaways were obvious. It wasn’t just defending one-v-one. It was how comfortable he looked receiving the ball, how quickly he could shift it, and how he read danger before it became a scramble. The modern game is brutal on defenders who can’t handle transitions. If your centre-half panics when the press comes, you’re in bother. If he can step in, carry it, and still defend the space behind him, you’ve got something special.
That’s why I always felt he suited the left side of a back two. You want your left centre-back to open his body, play out naturally, cover wide when needed, and still have that aggression to win duels. A lot of full-backs get moved inside and struggle with the tighter spaces and constant scanning. Some take to it because they’ve got the brain for it. He did.
Proving it beyond the Rangers bubble
It’s one thing saying it while he’s here. It’s another seeing him go on and justify the hype. In my view he’s now one of the best left-sided centre backs in Europe. That’s not a small statement, but it fits the profile: composed, athletic, and made for a team that wants to dominate the ball rather than just cling on.
And that’s the next step, really. He doesn’t need “a” move, he needs the right move. A Newcastle or an Aston Villa level feels realistic as a stepping stone if you’re mapping out the ladder. From there, you’d expect him to keep climbing, because the skillset is built for the elite end of the sport.
The kind of defender top sides actually pay for
When people talk about modern centre-halves, they’re not just talking about blocks and headers anymore. They want a player who can defend big spaces, play through pressure, and start attacks. That’s why the conversation last season about whether a club like Liverpool could look at him didn’t feel totally fanciful in football terms. The truth is, if you’re that type of centre-back, the biggest teams will always be interested eventually.
And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that sometimes supporters do see it early. Not because we’ve got badges or titles. Just because we watch, we recognise patterns, and we know what a proper player looks like.
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