Jason Jones

Tue 16 June 2020 16:52, UK

Rangers have been linked with a potential swoop for Gillingham centre-back Jack Tucker for some time now. 

The Gers are understood to have been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old since at least February, and find themselves in a bizarre position whereby his current boss, Steve Evans, seems intent on talking up the possibility of him making a move to Ibrox in the coming months.

Speaking to the Glasgow Times recently, the Gills manager argued that the youngster is more than ready to step up to the upper echelons of the Scottish game.

He said: “I think Jack could play in the Scottish Premiership tomorrow.

“I would certainly say Jack Tucker could absolutely play for Celtic or Rangers.

“He is an exceptional and exciting young talent. He got into our team at the start of the season and after a few games he’s been outstanding and he’s getting better week by week.”

But is he right?

With 33 games under his belt this season, Tucker is far from a flash in the pan.

He has established himself as a key member of Gillingham’s backline, and their faith in him has been more than justified.

His averages of 5.86 interceptions and 3.35 clearances per match are both higher than George Edmundson’s respective tallies in those areas this season, as per Wyscout, and he wins 4.3% more defensive duels per 90 minutes than Connor Goldson.

And he has put in some huge performances this season too.

In a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth on New Year’s Day, for instance, the defender won 13 out of his 16 aerial duels, a win percentage of 81%, as illustrated above.

Goldson has only eclipsed that tally on one occasion this term.

What really stands out, however, is just how many headers Tucker wins in crucial areas.

Four of his successful duels were within 12 yards of his own goal, and even the glut of headers in and around the centre circle show a player who is capable of winning the first ball and quelling an opposition attack at its source.

We see a similar story when we look at the 11 interceptions he made against Blackpool in February, pictured above.

Again, there is a high concentration of interventions in and around his own six yard box.

These aren’t just interceptions, they are key moments that are preventing potential goals.

Tucker isn’t just solid on the back foot though.

Against Rochdale in January, he managed a 90% long pass completion rate, succeeding with nine out of 10 of his attempted balls.

That in itself is impressive enough, but look at how positive those passes are too.

Not a single one travels sideways, and two even make their way into the opposition box.

Again, as a point of comparison, Goldson has only bettered that total on one occasion – during the 2-0 win over Livingston in November.

But that only tells half the story.

Look at how many sideways passes and misplaced balls it took him to reach that tally.

He may have completed 10, but his actual success rate was just 45%.

That’s not to say that Goldson is a bad player by any means, but it does serve to illustrate just how precocious the 20-year-old Tucker already is.

If we can snap him up this summer, he could be an investment that replays itself for years to come.

In other Rangers news, Billy Dodds claims Lyndon Dykes would be ‘perfect buy’ for Rangers this summer.