Joe Rothwell to ‘take back seat’ at Rangers after massive transfer news already
Rangers secured the signing of Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth, becoming the sixth signing of Russell Martin’s reign.
The experienced midfielder spent last season on loan at Leeds, with Rangers’ tie-in with the San Francisco 49ers already proving fruitful.
Rothwell has impressed in England with his impressive range of passing and set-piece deliveries. However, that might change in Glasgow.
McCormack reacts to Rothwell transfer at Rangers
Rangers have so far signed Rothwell and Max Aarons this summer as Russell Martin’s squad starts to take shape.
Rothwell has taken the lead role in set-piece taking in his spells in England, but the playmaker might have to step back from his usual duties due to James Tavernier taking them.
That’s according to Ross McCormack, who told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (2 July) when responding to a transfer question live on air: “To get someone of that ilk so early on for Rangers is a massive, massive signing.
“The fact that they have got someone with this ability, who knows how Russell Martin operates, this early on in the transfer window is massive.”
McCormack added that he doesn’t expect Rothwell to take over James Tavernier’s set-piece deliveries.
“He’ll be doing well to get near the ball if Tavernier’s still in the team. [Tavernier’s] proven year after year his delivery’s world-class, so I think Rothwell might have to take a step back for a while.
“Ninety per cent of games that Rangers play this season won’t be worrying about what’s going on behind them.
“The disappointing thing about Rangers’ last season was that a lot of the times breaking down these teams who sit with two banks of four – Rothwell’s perfect for that.”
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn | 161 | 11 | 18 |
| Oxford United | 86 | 8 | 9 |
| Leeds | 39 | 0 | 4 |
| Bournemouth | 35 | 1 | 1 |
| Southampton | 20 | 4 | 1 |
| Barnsley | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Blackpool | 3 | 0 | 0 |
After helping Bournemouth to Premier League promotion in 2022, Rothwell linked up with Russell Martin in the first half of 2024 as he helped Southampton achieve promotion back to the Premier League.
The midfielder has achieved three Premier League promotions in England and will be looking to bring his success over to the blue side of Glasgow.
McCormack also knows the task of switching between the English and Scottish leagues.
After featuring for Rangers and Motherwell, the Scotsman made the successful switch to England, where he went on to have prolific goal-scoring spells at Leeds and Fulham.
Rangers 49ers tie-in proving to be more useful than first thought
Rangers have so far benefited greatly from their change in ownership.
The 49ers’ links with Leeds has led to a greater understanding with English football, and the appointment of Martin could prove fruitful.
Martin and the 49ers could yet link up with more of their regular servants this summer after making a promising start to the transfer window.
After making five signings, including young defender Emmanuel Fernandez, the Blues could be back to challenging Celtic for the title next season.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.