Ben Davies must prove his worth to Rangers after remaining at Ibrox over the summer
Ban Davies looked likely to depart Rangers this summer amid plenty of interest from Stoke City in the former Liverpool defender but ended up remaining at Ibrox.
The Championship clubs offered to take the defender on a loan deal but were only willing to pay the Gers 40 per cent of his wages, leaving Michael Beale unable to raise the funds for a replacement so late in the window [Heart & Hand Podcast, 1 September].
With the deal being a non-starter, the 28-year-old defender remained at Ibrox and Beale was unable to make a move for Leicester City defender Harry Souttar and now Davies must begin to prove that he was worth keeping at Ibrox this season.
The former Sheffield United man has yet to make an appearance this season having been ruled out with injury but Beale did reveal that he was closing in on a return to fitness and selection, and he was named on the bench for the Old Firm derby defeat [Sky Sports, 1 September].
Last season Davies played 26 times in the Scottish Premiership and helped the Light Blues keep 11 clean sheets and for the majority of his appearances, he was a steady and dependable presence in the backline, even if he wasn’t the most flashy of defenders.
Defensively he was strong in the tackle, winning 83 per cent of his duels and racking up an impressive 20 interceptions and 29 headed clearances. But on the ball, he also offered a knack for progressing the ball up the field and created seven chances for his teammates [Fotmob].
Davies only made one error that led to a goal in the league campaign (sadly in the 3-2 defeat at the hands of Celtic) and while Connor Goldson was able to keep that number to zero, John Souttar has already managed to match that record within four games of the current season.
In addition, having the 28-year-old in the backline provides it with a greater balance in possession, as Davies is left-footed, unlike both John Souttar and Goldson and having that balance will add an extra threat and consistency across the defence.
Beale would have likely preferred to have Harry Souttar lining up on the left side of his defence, with the Gers’ boss a known admirer of the Australian defender, but with the window now closed he has to rely on what he already has at his disposal and Davies needs to prove he is worth keeping at Ibrox.
With the two-week international break allowing him to build up his fitness and pressure mounting following the Old Firm defeat, it may be the time to give Davies his first run-out this year and see if he can help Rangers turn their form around.
In other Rangers news, one St Johnstone legend believes that they could well be motivated by the pressure on Beale and his side