Rangers ended the 2021/22 campaign on a high as they won the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win at Hampden Park at the weekend.
Gio van Bronckhorst's side needed extra time to win the match as brilliant goals from Ryan Jack and Scott Wright ensured that James Tavernier was lifting the trophy after full-time.
The Gers brushed aside the disappointment of missing out on success in the Premiership and Europa League and will now head into next season with one trophy to build on.
Whilst many in light blue impressed in the win, one of the best performers on the day was Hearts central defender John Souttar.
After the game, ex-Dundee FC manager James McPake heaped praise on the 6 foot 1 defender, Tweeting: "John Souttar has cruised this. He’s the real deal. Top player. To be out for so long and to play the way he has in a cup final."
The centre-back is set to join Rangers on a free transfer this summer and his performances throughout the 2021/22 campaign suggest that he is the dream heir to Connor Goldson's throne at Ibrox.
Van Bronckhorst's go-to man at the heart of the defence is out of contract at the end of the month and is, currently poised to depart from Glasgow to pastures new. The club already have his replacement in the door, though, as Souttar has been exceptional in the Premiership.
As you can see in the graphic above, with stats provided by SofaScore, the Hearts man stacked up incredibly well in comparison to Goldson.
Both players were consistently brilliant for their respective clubs and have proven that they are elite performers in the Scottish top-flight. Journalist Ewan Murray dubbed Souttar as "outstanding" earlier this year and his stats back that up as he has made himself a brick wall at the back for his team.
His form for Hearts suggests that losing Goldson is not as big of a blow as it may seem on paper. If the Scotland international can adjust to van Bronckhorst's tactics and hit the ground running then it seems as though he will be a very important player for the club next season.
He is a proven player at this level and still has more development to go through at the age of 25. Souttar can be Rangers' starting centre-back for many years to come and is, hopefully, the dream replacement for the English colossus at Ibrox.