After an impressive cameo from the bench during the 8-0 victory over Hamilton Academical at Ibrox before the international break, Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard must reward Calvin Bassey with a start in the busy festive period.

Following the Scottish League Cup clash against Falkirk, Rangers will host Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday night in the hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.

The Light Blues started strongly against Benfica in their previous fixture but once again they blew a two-goal lead as the Portuguese giants stunned the Gers with a comeback to earn a draw at the Govan stadium.

Despite this obvious setback, several players produced a spirited performance, arguably none more so than Borna Barisic, who received a high rating of seven out of ten for his efforts from Glasgow Live.

Barisic has arguably been one of the club's best players in recent weeks, with the marauding fullback racking up eight assists in 20 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

However, with the fixtures coming thick and fast as the Gers head into the winter months, Gerrard will be well aware he will have to rotate his squad to avoid major burnout.

So perhaps the Ibrox boss should start to think about rewarding Bassey, who has turned out to be a total revelation after his arrival from Leicester City in the summer.

In seven games this season, the 20-year-old is averaging 1.7 tackles per game overall, via WhoScored, which is more than the Croatian defender is currently managing (1.2).

Whilst his attacking output is nowhere near on the same level as Barisic as of yet, the raw potential is there for all to see, as he has made one key pass and one dribble per game in the Europa League, as per WhoScored.

It could be argued that the youngster, who holds dual English and Nigerian citizenship, has a lot to prove during his time at the Ibrox outfit, as he came through the ranks with Leicester City's academy but wasn't given the time to shine in the first team.

Rangers chief Ross Wilson secured the arrival of the versatile player from the Foxes on a four-year deal in the summer. Since his arrival, Bassey has made just eight appearances for the Gers in which he has started just two games (via Transfermarkt).

However, the Ibrox boss has described him as a “fantastic” talent, whilst Wilson recently revealed that backroom staff are pleased with his progress.

It's fair to say that Bassey put his faith in Gerrard as he wasn't exactly short of suitors as the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham were credited with an interest in the summer. Now it's the manager's turn to return the favour.

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