There’s a line you hear every window: Rangers need players who “understand the UK game” or “know the league”. I get where it comes from, because we’ve been burned before and we’re all desperate for certainty. But certainty in recruitment is mostly a myth, and clinging to that idea can narrow the market to the point you’re shopping with one hand tied behind your back.
Look around the SPFL and you can see why the “must know Scotland” rule doesn’t hold up. Clubs like Hearts have brought in plenty from outside this bubble. On paper, lots of those deals would be labelled risky because they didn’t come with the usual boxes ticked: British experience, prior SPFL seasons, the old “he’ll cope with the weather at Dingwall” stuff. Yet they still take the plunge. That’s football now.
What actually matters more than a postcode
If a player has the athletic base to deal with the tempo and contact in our league, plus the technical quality to make a difference in tight games, that’s already most of the battle. The mental side is the other bit people skip over. Can he handle pressure? Can he learn quickly? Will he take coaching? Will he keep going when Ibrox is restless at 0-0 after an hour?
None of that is guaranteed just because someone’s played in England, or had a season in Scotland. And equally, it doesn’t mean a player from abroad can’t do it. Some adapt instantly. Some need a few months. Some never quite settle. That’s the reality whether the signing is from down south or further afield.
January should be different though
Where I do agree with the caution is the January window. It’s not that you can’t sign “projects” in January, but it’s usually the time you want fewer unknowns. If you’re bringing in experienced players mid-season, you’d hope they’ve played at a strong level and can contribute quickly, because there’s less runway to bed them in. You want lads who can hit the ground running, even if they’re not glamorous.
Why the fear lingers with our support
Truth is, the fanbase is scarred. We’ve not had enough titles since we came back, so every signing feels like it has to be a sure thing. That pressure breeds a suspicion of “overseas punts”, as if the default outcome is failure. But if Rangers want to improve the squad properly, we can’t just write off entire markets. The key isn’t where a player’s from. It’s whether the club has done the homework and picked the right profile for the way we play and the demands at Ibrox.
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