Giovanni van Bronckhorst really impressed by Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has suggested that he has been really impressed by the performance of Rangers left-back Ridvan Yilmaz.
The Turkish international joined in the summer transfer window from Besiktas for a fee of around £5 million. But he struggled to make an impact.
In recent weeks, Yilmaz was been brilliant for the Gers, and his performance in the Champions League defeat against Napoli really caught the attention.
“I said already before the difference between his performance and his levels is much better than when we came. It’s there for all of us to see, especially for me,” said Van Bronckhorst, as quoted by Rangers Review.
“It’s good that he’s at the level we need and he performed well in the games he played in the last couple of weeks. I’m really happy with the moment he’s in and the contribution he gives to the team.”
Future
Only a few weeks back, there were speculations that Yilmaz could be sent back to Besiktas on loan, as he was not getting enough games.
Van Bronckhorst used Borna Barisic at left-back, as he felt Yilmaz was not ready when he first came in.
This is entirely the manager’s discretion. It’s not always easy to adapt to a new system and new league, and the manager is the best judge here. He sees the player on a daily basis in training.
The Dutchman clearly felt that Yilmaz needed more time to settle in at Ibrox. He was lacking sharpness as well.
He also picked up an injury as well. But the recent performances have been very encouraging. He clearly deserves a chance now to have a run in the first team.
Barisic is a reliable option, no doubt, but Yilmaz probably brings a lot of quality to the side. It remains to be seen if Van Bronckhorst picks him for the game against Aberdeen on Saturday (29 October).
In other Rangers news, Carlton Palmer has tipped this exciting player to join Ibrox in January.