Rangers lost 1-0 to Celtic on Sunday, but Steven Gerrard has immediately moved to lift fans’ spirits by bringing in one final summer signing.
What's the story?
Rangers had one of the busiest summer transfer windows in Europe, but Gerrard was not done yet, and the club confirmed on Monday that free agent Gareth McAuley had signed.
The transfer window has of course closed, but McAuley was still able to sign as he was a free agent before the window closed.
The 38-year-old is now away on international duty, but Gers have beaten Hearts and Aberdeen to his signature.
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Why is he a good signing?
Gerrard has been hard at work this summer, and it’s fair to say he’s found a fair few gems. Lassana Coulibaly has shown huge potential already, Ovie Ejaria has had moments of brilliance, and Borna Barisic is going to get loads of assists this season.
McAuley might just be the smartest signing of the lot though, even if he doesn’t play lots of games. The 38 year-old has played over 200 league games for West Brom, after playing 115 league games for Ipswich and over 75 for Leicester. In short, you wont find a more experienced defender anywhere on the market.
Gerrard’s quest to improve the spine of the team started with the defence, and Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic have both hit the ground running. However, Katic and deadline day signing Joe Worrall are still very raw, and Goldson wasn’t playing loads of first team football at Brighton.
This is why McAuley’s experience will prove so vital, as the 6 ft 5 in veteran can teach the inexperienced trio every trick in the book. He also adds yet another commanding presence to the backline, as the Gers now have four colossal centre backs.
McAuley won’t set the world alight, but if he helps guide the young trio along and pitches in with a few set piece goals of his own, then the 15th signing of the summer will be Gerrard’s greatest one yet, and he has cult hero status written all over him.
So, Rangers fans, what do you think about the McAuley signing? Smart business? Waste of time? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…