Kris Boyd doesn’t see Katic returning to Rangers after jersey was handed to Sands
Kris Boyd reckons Niko Katic might have already played his last game for Rangers after James Sands was handed his shirt.
The Croatian centre-back is currently on loan with his country side Hajduk Split, and he is no longer the number 19 at Ibrox after the USA international midfielder, 21, was given the jersey upon his arrival from New York City earlier this week.
Boyd believes Katic will not be missed, claiming he was never a huge fan of the praises the defender got while at Ibrox.
The Sky Sports pundit told The Scottish Sun: “It also looks like Rangers will be losing another defender with Niko Katic’s Ibrox days looking numbered now.
“The Croatian’s No 19 shirt was given to new signing James Sands, suggesting he will not be back in Govan.
“There is no loyalty in football and this is just what happens.
“Players are dispensable, though I never bought into the hype about Katic being a world-beater in the first place.
“I think he benefited from other defenders playing and making mistakes. His stock rose during his absence with injury.
“As a result, he was made out to be a better player than he actually was.
“Yes, he has been unfortunate with injury, but if he doesn’t return then I don’t think he will be missed.”
All over for Niko?
Katic has since wiped his personal Instagram account after the development, with traces of the club from his social media account gone.
While things could have been different had Steven Gerrard not left, the arrival of Giovanni van Bronckhorst has changed a lot of things, and the fact that Rangers opted against recalling him this month despite their injury concerns at the back speaks volumes.
They are looking elsewhere instead, and it is safe to say giving out his number means a lot.
Katic spent the whole of 2020-21 out injured after rupturing his ACL ligament in pre-season training, and Rangers were forced to recruit at the back in his absence.
With Gerrard gone, it appears that everyone has moved on, and he should now be looking to keep impressing at Hajduk Split so as to seal a permanent move in the summer.
Seeing his jersey handed to someone else would have been gut-wrenching, but the reality is Rangers do not see him returning, and they did not hesitate to quickly move on once Sands arrived.
In other Rangers news, a report has shared which players GvB will allow to leave Ibrox this month.